---
title: Asparagus fern in a terrarium | Glass Jar Garden
description: Asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus): Feathery sprays on wiry stems. Not a real fern, and taller than it looks. Needs light 2,500 to 15,000 lux, humidity 40...
url: https://glassjar.garden/guide/plants/asparagus-setaceus/
---

Plants

# Asparagus fern
Asparagus setaceus

Beginner · Fine in a closed jar

Feathery sprays on wiry stems. Not a real fern, and taller than it looks.

## What the simulation uses

- Light: 2,500 to 15,000 lux (The brightness it grows well in.)

- Humidity: 40 to 80 % RH (Air moisture it is happy in; below the lower end it dries out.)

- Temperature: 13 to 27 °C (Comfortable range; outside it growth slows.)

- Dies at: below 5 or above 32 °C (Days beyond these temperatures kill it.)

- Soil pH: 6 to 6.8 pH (Soil acidity it prefers.)

- Grows up: 1.5 cm/month (How fast it gains height in good conditions.)

- Spreads: 0.7 cm/month (How fast its edge creeps outwards.)

- Copes with wet: fair (How well it stands soggy soil; poor means rot comes quickly.)

- Copes with still air: good (Sealed jars have still air; poor means grey mould finds it.)

- Copes with shade: fair (How well it holds on in dim light.)

- Copes with drying: good (How well it survives the jar drying out.)

- Water use: 0.1 ml/cm²/day (Water drawn up from its roots per cm² of leaves in room air; a sealed jar cuts this to a fraction and returns it down the glass.)

- Leaf drop: 3.5 %/month (Share of its leaves it sheds each month as litter for the cleanup crew.)

- Soft leaves: no (Soft new growth that hungry isopods will nibble.)

- Full size: 40 cm tall, 32.5 cm wide (Its size when grown, before the lid stops it.)

## Care

- Day length: 10 to 14 h

- Substrate: Moist

## What kills it

- waterlogged roots

## Description
Despite the name, it is not a fern. What look like fine leaves are flattened stems on wiry stalks. It is tough, but grows tall enough to crowd a small jar.

Also called lace fern, plumosa fern.

Estimated, where sources were thin: rates and limits are horticultural estimates, not measured.

## Sources

- [en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus_setaceus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus_setaceus)

[Grow it in a jar](https://glassjar.garden/?guide=plants/asparagus-setaceus)

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