Colours and shapes
Ornamental asparagus does not demand attention extravagantly but it’s certainly not invisible either. It flirts with you subtly from the corner of the room and sometimes it treats you with white flowers. This subtle evergreen was originally considered a fern – it’s easy to see the resemblance to botanical ferns, its appealing nonchalance. It’s a tough houseplant that will give you great pleasure but be careful with the stem - it has sharp spikes.
Symbolism
Ornamental asparagus has no symbolism and is particularly good at being beautiful but its cousin from the lily family is used for all sorts of things. Asparagus was used as a medicinal herb against heart problems, dizziness and bee stings, as well as a laxative. It was also used to liven things up sexually, because of its phallic appearance.
Origin
This fabulous plant from south and central Africa and Asia is a member of the lily family Liliaceae, and includes some 300 species.
