Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Grow, Baby, Grow

Several years ago I bought a small asparagus fern from a local garden center. At its size, the plant was really more appropriate for tucking into a larger container garden than growing in a stand-alone pot, but I liked the way it looked (and the price was right) and so it came home with me.  I put the pot in a north-facing alcove behind the garage with several other plants.  The plant grew well, and the critters didn't eat on it.  At the end of the season I brought it inside, where the lack of sun caused it to shed yellowed leaves like crazy, but it survived until I put it outside again in the spring.

Fast forward a couple of years.  We had roller coaster weather this fall, with the low temperatures almost reaching the danger zone a couple of times before I actually brought the plants inside.  When I picked up the asparagus fern the pot was as hard as a rock, and I suspected it was full of roots.  I wasn't inclined to do anything about it until spring, though.  The plant went in it's normal place in the master bathroom.

A couple of weeks afterwards I noticed a shoot sticking up from the top of the plant.  That shoot grew and grew, and it was followed by a couple of more shoots.  It's never done that before, so I wonder if after being outside in the chill the warmer temperatures inside the house tricked the plant into thinking it was spring.  This is what it looks like today:


As much as I admire the plant's tenacity I'll need to trim the shoots soon.  When I sat down on the toilet the other day I got hit in the face by one of the long sprigs.

10 comments:

  1. Probably a good idea to trim the long shoots. We used to have asparagus in Illinois, but I don't think we ever ate any of the sprouts. I love the feathery look of it.

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    1. This plant is related to edible asparagus, but it doesn't grow spears. (Wish it did!)

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  2. Replies
    1. "The Plucky Plant" would have been a much better title for this post. Where were you when I needed you?

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  3. Replies
    1. Yes, it has. I tend to like low-maintenance plants, and this one fills the bill.

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  4. We have asparagus fern in our front yard and it grows like crazy. Terry has to trim it back from the walkway a few times during the summer months. Those shoots are every where and thats how new ferns take hold. They attach to the ground and put out even more shoots. The birds like to come eat the red berries in the fall and winter.

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    1. Oh, now the growth pattern makes sense. I doubt my plant's green berries will ripen inside the house.

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  5. It's beautiful! I love it all wild like that! :)

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