Maggie, you know how I love your website and your ST articles. Congrats on the newly expanded byline, with your picture to boot! Before I plant a newly purchased foxtail fern, I need to know if it will be winter hardy here in Ft. Worth. I have several other varieties that come back faithfully every spring but have found the aspargus fern does not. Don't want to plant this new one outdoors if it won't make it thru the winter here. Thanks for your expertise, Barbara

Yep, I so dreaded that seeing that pic of me on the page that I skipped town for the weekend ;-)

If is your foxtail fern is Protoasparagus densiflorus, it would need to be brought in for winter in the Metroplex.

Here is a pic of the foxtail I am referring to, to make sure we are talking about the same one.

It is closely related to the Aspargus fern that goes by Protoasparagus densiflorus 'Springeri' which is why it is often sold by its cultivar name. I have two ancient 'Springeri's that germinated in a bed below a tall fence, indicating that a bird brought me thier seeds. (yes, same bed as the 4'Oclock bird gift). I have them in huge pots on the patio, each with a sprig of Lantana in them them that nearly gets choked to death, but still manages to come back every summer and bloom a bit. These huge pots are drug into the greenhouse shed every autumn. When I used to keep them in the house over winter, their roots would survive, but they shed dry leaves the whole time. Its due to our open-flamed heaters, as opposed to radiator heat. If you have a sunny garage, they would like it better there than in the house.

You probably have some of Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrum niponicum), but if not,, you might enjoy putting some in the beds for a perennial fern.

Thanks Maggie. You hit the nail on the head, as usual, with your assessment. I'll plant it up in a big pot and keep it in my bathtub all winter like I do the other Springeri fern that I have. (It's the only use the bathtub gets). It has a large pic window above it, so that should work. Yes, I also have Japanese Painted fern in my shade bed along with others that survive the winter, including that little one that looks like baby's tears (sort of).

Talk about pampered house plants - a room with a view and all ;-) Sounds like a lovely place to over winter pot plants, Barbara.

Your 'baby tears' one - is it the Maidenhair fern? I love that one - haven't yet found the right spot for it at my place. But might have better luck now, what with sprinkler system.

I have seen them growing out of limestone cliffs that constantly seep water over them at Lake Whitney. Oh so pretty! Sorta like this scene


found on last week's getaway - which reminds me to post that mini Virtual Stroll of it that I promised ...

Maggie:

This is my first time, so I hope I am doing this right. I live in NW Montana and have an aspargus fern that, up to this point has done really well. It is by a window with filtered light, I have it placed on a bed of rocks which I keep moist with water and water it about once a week. This past week it started loosing all its tiny leaves and is turning brown. What do I do, or what did I not do?

Any advise is appreciated. Thanks

Tracy in MT

Hi Tracy, Has it been outside all summer, and you recently brought it indoors?

It sounds like its suffering from a sudden decrease in light. Another cause of leaf drop is bad drainage, so check that. But lack of light is the usual culprit.

Asparagus fern will throw its leaves under stress, but the nodule roots will remain alive for a long time until the conditions improve.

I still have the two springeris that I referred into above post of Oct ‘02. As you can imagine, they are now monstrous and can no longer be taken to the grnhouse shed for winter. For the past two winters, I have wrapped the huge pots well and left them out of doors. I realize this wouldn’t work in your climate, but the point is that I cut off all their foliage before wrapping them. When the cover is removed in March, the roots wake up to produce foliage after having been dormant for 5 months. As long as the soil doesn’t dry out completely or the roots don’t freeze, they are as tough as bulbs, giving you more chances to rescue and resuscitate the plant.

If you can’t give it enough sun to keep the leaves from falling indoors, you might want to just let it go leafless-dormant until next spring.

Here's one of my monster springeri pots. Their red berried seeds germinate in the beds.