Asparagus densiflorus 'Meyersii' is my favorite plant (kind of in the garden) this week…

Commonly known as the Foxtail Fern (in fact I’m hoping I’ve got the right botanical name above in the title, since my plant came unlabeled), I finally broke down and purchased one last May, at the Rare Plant Research open house. I resisted for the longest time, there was just something about this plant that made me less than a fan. However as frequently happens my opinion changed, completely!

While I would be thrilled to plant a row of their fluffy plumes along the fence line behind the shade pavilion, that isn't going happen because they aren’t reliably hardy in my climate. Instead mine’s in a container where it can be protected from winter’s crazy temperatures. Which brings me to why it’s my fav…

Those berries! I discovered these red and green berries when I moving things around in the shade pavilion “greenhouse” to make room for refugees from the snow and ice.

Of course the fluffy "tails"are always a draw.

After I was done photographing I went to tuck it back into its spot and narrowly missed touching this, a baby slug. Ugh.

Here it is, all tucked away. Things are getting tight in the s.p. greenhouse, what with the new plants that have been following me home. Notice that sweet trunking Yucca aloifolia, another treasure from Cistus. I can’t wait to get planting!!!

The stats on the Foxtail Fern…

• evergreen perennial hardy in USDA Zones 9-11
• likes average water, said to be somewhat drought tolerant
• native to South Africa where it grows in coastal areas
• white flowers in the spring
• likes sun to bright shade (mine was in almost full shade all summer and did fine)
• 1-2 ft tall and wide

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