Garden Asparagus

Asparagus officinalis

Commonly cultivated, commonly escaped to fencerows, roadsides, disturbed areas. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you

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Not native

Not native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 76%

Height: 3–5 feet
Spread: 1.5–3 feet
Light: Full sun
Soil moisture: Usually moist

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At a glance

Life cycle: Perennial
Bloom: April to June
Fruiting season: July to October

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Not yet recorded · Leaves

Recorded in 8 Florida counties.

Natural habitats

Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.

Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground

Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.

All habitats

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

27CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL

Genus host records with ranges including FL · Asparagus

Acronicta oblinitaSmeared Dagger
Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
Agrotis vetustaOld Man Dart
Amorbia humerosanaWhite-Lined Leafroller Moth
Anavitrinella pampinariaCommon Gray, Cranberry Spanworm
Argyrotaenia ivanaIvana Leafroller Moth
Callopistria floridensisFlorida Fern Caterpillar
Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
Elasmopalpus lignosellaLesser Cornstalk Borer
Ennomos subsignariaElm Spanworm Moth

Show all 27

Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
Feltia subterraneaSubterranean Dart, Granulate Cutworm
Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
Herpetogramma bipunctalisSouthern Beet Webworm, Two-Spotted Herpetogramma
Iridopsis humariaSmall Purplish Gray
Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
Platynota rostranaOmnivorous Platynota
Platynota stultanaOmnivorous Leafroller
Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
Spodoptera dolichosSweetpotato Armyworm, Dolichos Armyworm, Large Cotton Armyworm
Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Tolype velledaLarge Tolype, Large Lappet Moth, Vellada Lappet Moth
Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
Trichordestra legitimaStriped Garden Caterpillar Moth

Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)

—BeesSoutheastern regional records

—Specialist beesPollen specialists

1BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Asparagus

Sialia sialisEastern Bluebird

Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family: Asparagaceae
Hardiness: Zones 2a–9b
Soil pH: Neutral
Flower color: Yellow or green
Fruit begins: July
Fruit ends: October

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope

Bloom · “April to June” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Flower color · “Yellow or green” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Fruit begins · “July” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Fruit ends · “October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) · Carolinas and Georgia
Hardiness · “Zones 2a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Height · “3–5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Minnesota Wildflowers differs)
Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil · “Moist” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Soil pH · “Neutral” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Spread · “1.5–3 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox

Also known as

Asparagus

Conservation status

Florida rank	SNA
Global rank	G5?
FL status	Not verified
Federal status	Not verified

Conservation source Global and federal source