Plants of South Eastern New South Wales

Asparagus scandens

Flowering stems. Australian Plant Image Index, photographer Murray Fagg, near Huskisson

Stems with green and ripening fruit. Photographer Jackie Miles

Plant. Photographer Jackie Miles

Common name

Asparagus fern

Family

Asparagaceae

Where found

Urban bushland, woodland, gardens, rocky habitats, and coastal environs. Prefers moist sites. Sydney area. Occasionally coast and ranges elsewhere.

Notes

Introduced perennial climber to about 2 m high, or sprawling. Rhizomatous. Forms dense impenetrable mats. Fruit fleshy. Stems wiry, hairless. True leaves scale-like, 0.1-0.2 cm long, subtending the 'leaves'. 'Leaves' in clusters of 3, 0.5–1.5 cm long, 0.5–1.5 mm wide, hairless, flattened, tapering at the base, tips with a small abrupt point. Flowers white to pinkish, with 6 'petals' each 3–4 mm long. Flowers in clusters of 1–3. Flowering: chiefly winter and early spring; fruits until summer. Ripe fruit orange to red, more or less oval, 5–7 mm in diameter.

A Weed of National Significance. General Biosecurity Duty with additional restrictions all NSW. Pest plant ACT. Noxious weed Vic.

PlantNET description:  http://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Asparagus~scandens  (accessed 4 January, 2021)