Ground asparagus fern
Asparagus aethiopicus
family
Asparagaceae
origin
Exotic
declaration
Category 3 Restricted Matter (Biosecurity Act 2014)
Must not be distributed or disposed. This means it must not be released into the environment unless the distribution or disposal is authorised in a regulation or under a permit.
Common names
Ground asparagus fern, Basket asparagus fern, Asparagus fern, Bushy asparagus, Emerald asparagus fern, Emerald feather, Sprenger asparagus.
A low-growing herbaceous plant with creeping underground stems and tubers as well as sprawling or arching above ground stems. The above ground stems have some short spines and bear numerous small 'leaves' that give them a ferny appearance. These narrow 'leaves' (15-25 mm long and 2-3 mm wide) are clustered together in groups of one to eight along the stems. Its small white or pinkish flowers are borne in elongated clusters. Its fruit are glossy berries (5-8 mm across) that turn from green to red as they mature.
Impact
Impact
Ground asparagus fern (Asparagus aethiopicus 'Sprengeri') is a significant environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales, and an emerging environmental weed in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. It is actively managed by community groups in Queensland and is currently listed as a priority environmental weed in five Natural Resource Management regions. Ground asparagus (Asparagus aethiopicus 'Sprengeri') forms a thick mat of tuberous roots and grows particularly well in shaded areas and in sandy soils. It is most prevalent in coastal environs, but has also invaded littoral rainforests, rainforest margins, sclerophyll forests, urban bushland and heathlands. The dense growth of this species may form impenetrable thickets that smother native understorey plants and inhibit their regeneration, thereby transforming the ground layer of native plant communities.In south-eastern Queensland Ground asparagus (Asparagus aethiopicus 'Sprengeri') is ranked among the top 25 most invasive plant species and is one of the most significant garden escapes invading coastal habitats. For example, it is one of the top 10 weeds in the Gold Coast local government area, with heavy infestations present in Burleigh Heads National Park near the Queensland-New South Wales border. In New South Wales it is also extensively naturalised in coastal districts, especially in the Sydney region, and is a serious weed threat to bushland north from Sussex Inlet. In some places it has become the dominant ground layer plant, even displacing native plants in undisturbed communities. It has also been reported from coastal sand dunes in south-western Western Australia.
Location
Location
Characteristics
Characteristics
Similar Species
Similar Species
Ground asparagus fern (Asparagus aethiopicus 'Sprengeri') is a significant environmental weed in Queensland and New South Wales, and an emerging environmental weed in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia. It is actively managed by community groups in Queensland and is currently listed as a priority environmental weed in five Natural Resource Management regions. Ground asparagus (Asparagus aethiopicus 'Sprengeri') forms a thick mat of tuberous roots and grows particularly well in shaded areas and in sandy soils. It is most prevalent in coastal environs, but has also invaded littoral rainforests, rainforest margins, sclerophyll forests, urban bushland and heathlands. The dense growth of this species may form impenetrable thickets that smother native understorey plants and inhibit their regeneration, thereby transforming the ground layer of native plant communities.In south-eastern Queensland Ground asparagus (Asparagus aethiopicus 'Sprengeri') is ranked among the top 25 most invasive plant species and is one of the most significant garden escapes invading coastal habitats. For example, it is one of the top 10 weeds in the Gold Coast local government area, with heavy infestations present in Burleigh Heads National Park near the Queensland-New South Wales border. In New South Wales it is also extensively naturalised in coastal districts, especially in the Sydney region, and is a serious weed threat to bushland north from Sussex Inlet. In some places it has become the dominant ground layer plant, even displacing native plants in undisturbed communities. It has also been reported from coastal sand dunes in south-western Western Australia.
