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Asparagus falcatus

Asparagus falcatus, Asparagaceae

Sources last read 14 September 2026.

Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.

Asparagus falcatus (Asparagus falcatus), the whole plant.
Krzysztof Ziarnek, Kenraiz, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Asparagus falcatus is toxic

  • Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
  • Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
  • Toxic to people. Can cause skin allergy; the fruits are harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it. RHS

What the sources say about its care

Light
Partial shade
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Water
Moist but well-drained or Well-drained
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Humidity

No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.

ASHRAE recommends indoor relative humidity between 30% and 60% 30–60%
Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
Temperature

How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.

H2 — 1–5°C 1–5 °C
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Soil
Loam; pH Acid or Alkaline or Neutral
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to cats
Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Toxic to dogs
Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.
ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
Harmful to people
Can cause skin allergy; the fruits are harmful when eaten. Use gloves and protective gear when handling it.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Routine care

Watering
Between spring and mid-autumn, water generously; in winter water less.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Repotting
Move to a larger pot in spring.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Propagation
Increase from seed or cuttings.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pruning
Pruning is not needed.
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Pests and diseases
Can be troubled by snails, slugs and asparagus beetle. Diseases: usually none.
RHS · read 13 September 2026

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About the plant

Asparagus falcatus is a large, thorny, climbing plant of the Asparagus genus, that is indigenous to South Africa and Mozambique. It is often grown as a security hedge in southern Africa.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026

Native range
SW. Ethiopia to S. Africa, Arabian Pen., India, Sri Lanka
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Africa, Asia
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Climate
seasonally dry tropical
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Growth form
climbing perennial or shrub
World Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.
Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
Climbing, Bushy (evergreen)
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Size
Height 1.5-2.5 metres; spread 1-1.5 metres after 2–5 years
RHS · read 13 September 2026
Flowering
Flowers white in summer
RHS · read 13 September 2026

Other Asparagus

More of the Asparagaceae family

Plants with similar care

Sources

What this does not cover

The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.

Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.

If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.