Meet the newest addition to our garden, Harvey! No, he's not an imaginary, giant bunny! He's an Asparagus Fern that I got to replace my beloved, Marv, who had to stay behind in NorCal (perhaps a post on Marv later). Harvey is beautiful and bushy, and brings a bit of brightness and texture to our patio.
Despite the common name of "fern", asparagus ferns are not ferns at all! Although they both have modified leaves, a fern reproduces through spores which grow on the underside of their leaves, while asparagus ferns actually have blossoms and produce little berries! Asparagus ferns are, in fact, related to the asparagus you buy at your local farmer's market. The asparagus that we put on our table are the baby shoots of the plant. But if you allow the asparagus to grow to seed, it will actually grow up to be tall and bushy, and will look quite similar to the asparagus fern.*
Although in mild Northern California, Marv was able to winter outside, here in Arkansas we will probably have a few nights that will be too cold for Harvey, so I'll have to remember to either cover him with a sheet, or let him over-night indoors.
*Where I read it:
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle
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