Help us maintain this website and keep it free and open for our community of scientists, students, and conservation managers, who depend on it to obtain the most up to date information. Help us save species and restore native ecosystems!

Close

Please scroll to the bottom for more images.
Asparagus aethiopicus L.
Sprenger’s asparagus-fern

Asparagus aethiopicus
Copyright by: Shirley Denton

Family: Asparagaceae

Group: Monocot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Africa; cultivated and sometimes naturalizing elsewhere.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

FLEPPC Status: Category I Invasive

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Not Native, Naturalized

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Cultivated

Comments: For more information and images, visit Florida Invasive Plant Species Mobile Field Guide (FLIP) or click on the Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants link below.

Synonyms: A. sprengeri; A. densiflorus, misapplied.

Other data on Asparagus aethiopicus available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Asparagus aethiopicus has been found in the following 87 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Arch Creek Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Atlantic Dunes Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Big and Little George Hammocks Present Not Native, Naturalized
Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Bill Sadowski Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Biscayne National Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Biscayne National Park, Florida Keys Section Present Not Native, Naturalized
Blazing Star Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Blowing Rocks Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Blue Heron Hammock, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Cayo Costa State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Chapman Field Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Coral Pines Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Coral Reef Park Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized
County Line Scrub, Miami-Dade County Present Not Native, Naturalized
Crandon Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge Present Not Native, Naturalized
Crystal Lake Sand Pine Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammocks Botanical State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Deering Estate at Cutler Present Not Native, Naturalized
Delray Beach Municipal Beach Present Not Native, Naturalized
Delray Oaks Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dove Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park Presumed Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized
Dry Tortugas National Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Dupuis Reserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Eachus Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Enchanted Forest Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Everglades National Park Assumed to be Present Not Native, Naturalized
Fort Lauderdale Ex. Airport Gopher Tortoise Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Frenchman's Forest Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Fuchs Hammock Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Gomez Present Not Native, Naturalized
Gopher Tortoise Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Greynolds Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Gulfstream Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Hattie Bauer Hammock Present Not Native, Naturalized
Highlands Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge Present Not Native, Naturalized
Hugh Taylor Birch State Park Present Not Native, Cultivated Only
Ingram Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Jonathan Dickinson State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Juno Dunes Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse Outstanding Natural Area Not Native, Naturalized
Jupiter Ridge Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Kendalwood Present Not Native, Naturalized
Koreshan State Historic Site Present Not Native, Naturalized
LaBelle Nature Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Larry and Penny Thompson Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Klopp Tract Present Not Native, Naturalized
Loggerhead Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center Present Not Native, Naturalized
Matheson Hammock Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Military Trail Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Miramar Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
National Key Deer Refuge Possibly Extirpated Not Native, Naturalized
Oak Grove Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Ocean Ridge Hammock Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Peck Lake Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Phipps Ocean Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Pine Island Ridge Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Pine Jog Environmental Sciences Center Present Not Native, Naturalized
Pine Shore Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
R. Hardy Matheson Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rockdale Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rocky Point Hammock Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rolling Oaks Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rosemary Ridge Preserve Present Not Native, Naturalized
Rosemary Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Savannas Preserve State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Seabranch Preserve State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Seacrest Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Simpson Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Snake Creek Hammocks, Florida Keys Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
Sunny Palms Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tamarind Private Dune Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tilton Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tradewinds Park & Stables Present Not Native, Naturalized
Tree Tops Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens Present Not Native, Naturalized
Warbler Wetland Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized
West Biscayne Pineland Present Not Native, Naturalized
Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park Present Not Native, Naturalized
Yamato Scrub Natural Area Present Not Native, Naturalized

Asparagus aethiopicus has been found in the following 6 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Broward County Not Native, Naturalized
Lee County Not Native, Naturalized
Martin County Not Native, Naturalized
Monroe County (Keys) Not Native, Naturalized
Monroe County (Mainland) Not Native, Naturalized
Palm Beach County Not Native, Naturalized

Asparagus aethiopicus has been found in the following 9 habitats :
Coastal Strand
Disturbed Upland
Maritime Hammock
Pine Rockland
Rockland Hammock
Scrub
Scrubby Flatwoods
Shell Mound
Xeric Hammock

All Images:

Asparagus aethiopicus
Copyright by: Shirley Denton