Foxtail Fern Bright Green Accent Plant

The mature 24 year old plant at the right has 2.5 foot sprays and tiny white flowers that attract honey bees. It looks like this all year round. There is no trimming needed like a hedge or pruning that roses need. A mature plant will become six to eight feet across but new plants will stay about 3 or 4 feet across for 12 years or more.

The 25 years I have had these plants in one form or another I never saw any pests that attacked it or diminished its health.

It is easy to start new plants by dividing the base root system with ten or twelve sprays attached.

If you live in Socal you will be very happy with this plant.

Once a year or sometimes twice when I am extra ambitious I clean out dead wood and perk up the sides of the bushes. I always do this sitting down next to the plant.

The sprays on the ground are lifted and held to the center and the outer sprays are cut to get some of the bush off the ground. Next work into the center and cut off dead, browning and thinning sprays at least four inches from the base

Note that with the foxtail fern you will always have sprays dead or drying up. These are the oldest sprays and this is just the way this plant keeps itself under self control. I go in about twice a year to weed out these sticks to dress and clean up the plant for a better look. There are always new shoots.

Last, loosen and pick out twigs from former cuttings to allow areas for new growth.

Some browning of the sprays will happen every year. This is the old growth dying off.

If you get more than 10 sprays browning out in one season you may have to give the plant more water.

I have bought only one foxtail fern. It is easy to propagate. Beware of other types of asparagus fern especially the one with long feathery stems. This type can invade and will act like weeds starting to sprout everywhere. The foxtail does not have this problem.

My plants have not tasted a drop of chemicals and are thriving anyway.

The "Sunset New Western Garden Book" says "Will survive light frosts but may be killed to ground by severe cold. Frosted plants often come back from roots."

It is a houseplant anywhere. Leaves turn yellow in dense shade.

With the new watering rules in L.A. of watering twice a week the foxtail fern should do fine in your yard.