Feathered asparagus fern

• Fast-growing plant that can climb up to 5m.
• Stems can be metres long.
• Leaves are very fine.
• Stems are thorny.
• Underground rhizomes are strong.
• Flowers are bell-shaped, greenish-white, 5–7mm wide
• Berries are green, ripening to black, 4–5mm wide.
• Roots are swollen, thick, do not produce tubers.
• Appearance and impacts are very similar to A. africanus except A. plumosus has black berries while A. africanus has orange berries.

• Temperate to subtropical areas.

• Most common near Brisbane.

• Produces flowers and berries spring–autumn.
• Each berry contains 1 seed.

Environmental

• Smothers native vegetation, especially in dry rainforest.

• Spread by birds and dumping of garden waste.

• Find out how farmers can prevent weed spread.
• Find out how gardeners and outdoor enthusiasts can prevent weed spread.

Physical control

• Prevent birds from accessing berries.
• Dig out roots and dispose of at your local waste facility.
• Remove entire crown and underground stem to prevent regrowth. This requires digging underneath central growing point and lifting it out of ground. Any regrowth that occurs can be kept under control by regular mowing or digging out.

Herbicide control

• Herbicides are effective.

Read the asparagus fern fact sheet (PDF, 1.5MB) for herbicide control and application rates.

Biological control

• No known biological control agents.

• Feathered asparagus fern is a category 3 restricted invasive plant under the Biosecurity Act 2014.
• It must not be given away, sold, or released into the environment. Penalties may apply.
• You must take all reasonable and practical measures to minimise the biosecurity risks associated with dealing with feathered asparagus fern under your control. This is called a general biosecurity obligation (GBO).
• At a local level, each local government agency must have a biosecurity plan that covers invasive plants in its area. This plan may include actions to be taken on feathered asparagus fern. Some of these actions may be required under local laws. Contact your local council for more information.