Asparagaceae

Common asparagus fern

Asparagus setaceus (Kunth) Jessop

Family: Asparagaceae
Genus: Asparagus

Pets and kids

CatsMildly toxic
DogsMildly toxic
KidsMildly toxic

Why

Cats: Mildly toxic

Mildly toxic to cats. Toxic principle: sapogenins.

Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, skin irritation.

Plumosa Fern Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline® Poison control
Asparagus setaceus (Asparagus Fern, Climbing Asparagus, Common Asparagus Fern, Feathered Asparagus Fern, Ferny Asparagus, Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern) | North Carol University or extension

Dogs: Mildly toxic

Mildly toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: sapogenins.

Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, skin irritation, anorexia.

Asparagus setaceus (Asparagus Fern, Climbing Asparagus, Common Asparagus Fern, Feathered Asparagus Fern, Ferny Asparagus, Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern) | North Carol University or extension
Plumosa Fern Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline® Poison control

Kids: Mildly toxic

Mildly toxic to young children. Toxic principle: sapogenins.

Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, skin irritation.

Asparagus setaceus (Asparagus Fern, Climbing Asparagus, Common Asparagus Fern, Feathered Asparagus Fern, Ferny Asparagus, Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern) | North Carol University or extension

Common asparagus fern (Asparagus setaceus) — FlowerPhoto: Emily Summerbell, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist

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Is Common asparagus fern safe for cats, dogs and kids?

Is Common asparagus fern safe for cats?

No. Our sources call Common asparagus fern mildly toxic to cats. Toxic principle: sapogenins. Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, skin irritation.

Plumosa Fern Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline® Poison control
Asparagus setaceus (Asparagus Fern, Climbing Asparagus, Common Asparagus Fern, Feathered Asparagus Fern, Ferny Asparagus, Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern) | North Carol University or extension

Is Common asparagus fern safe for dogs?

No. Our sources call Common asparagus fern mildly toxic to dogs. Toxic principle: sapogenins. Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, skin irritation, anorexia.

Asparagus setaceus (Asparagus Fern, Climbing Asparagus, Common Asparagus Fern, Feathered Asparagus Fern, Ferny Asparagus, Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern) | North Carol University or extension
Plumosa Fern Is Toxic To Dogs | Pet Poison Helpline® Poison control

Is Common asparagus fern safe for kids?

No. Our sources call Common asparagus fern mildly toxic to young children. Toxic principle: sapogenins. Signs: vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, skin irritation.

Asparagus setaceus (Asparagus Fern, Climbing Asparagus, Common Asparagus Fern, Feathered Asparagus Fern, Ferny Asparagus, Lace Fern, Plumosa Fern) | North Carol University or extension

Ate some? Call your vet or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 (a fee may apply). For a child, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US). If they are struggling to breathe or collapse, call 911. Don't give anything by mouth unless a vet or poison expert tells you to.

See all cat-safe plants, dog-safe plants and child-safe plants.

Similar names and close relatives

A shared name doesn't mean a shared answer: check the exact plant.

Hawai'I birdnest fern Asplenium nidussimilar nameCats: Not sure; Dogs: Not sure; Kids: Safe
Boston fern Nephrolepis exaltatasimilar nameCats: Safe; Dogs: Safe; Kids: Safe
Elkhorn fern Platycerium bifurcatumsimilar nameCats: Safe; Dogs: Safe; Kids: Not sure
Cwebe asparagus fern Asparagus densiflorussimilar nameCats: Mildly toxic; Dogs: Mildly toxic; Kids: Mildly toxic
Asparagus Asparagus officinalissame genusCats: Not sure; Dogs: Not sure; Kids: Mildly toxic

Common names

By language (23)

Afrikaans: Katdoring, Aspersievaring
Arabic: هليون ناعم, اسبرجس فينو
arz: اسبرجس ناعم
Cantonese: 文竹
cdo: Ùng-dé̤ṳk
Chinese: 文竹
English: Common asparagus fern, Emerald asparagus fern
Estonian: Sulgaspar
Finnish: Unelma
German: Feder-Spargel
Hebrew: שרך אספרג מנוצה
Indonesian: Perampun
Japanese: オオミドリボウキ
Kurdish: Çavmarka pûrtik, Melajoya pûrtik
Persian: اسپاراگوس ستاسیوس
Polish: Szparag pierzasty
Russian: Аспарагус перистый, Папоротник Аспарагуса
Slovenian: Puhasti beluš, Peresasti beluš, Puhasti asparagus
Spanish: Helecho Plumoso
Swedish: Fjädersparris
Tongan: Tāupoʻou
Ukrainian: Аспарагус перистий
Vietnamese: Măng leo

Synonyms

Asparagopsis setacea Kunth
Asparagus asiaticus var. amharicus Pic.Serm.
Asparagus lujae De Wild.
Asparagus plumosus Baker
Asparagus zanzibaricus Baker
Protasparagus plumosus (Baker) Oberm.
Protasparagus setaceus (Kunth) Oberm.

Flowers

In flower: April, September to February (from 22 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)

Characteristics

Growth habit: Forb/herb, Vine
Lifespan: Perennial
In the US and Canada: Hawaii: introduced, Lower 48 states: introduced, Puerto Rico: introduced

Photos

FlowerPhoto: Emily Summerbell, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Stephen Thorpe, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
FlowerPhoto: Shaun Swanepoel, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Forest & Kim Starr, CC BY 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Tauʻolunga, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: bigbud1, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: zebedeugalinha, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Cayobo from Key West, The Conch Republic, CC BY 2.0, from Wikimedia Commons
Photo: ritazara, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
Photo: insiderelic, CC0, from iNaturalist
Photo: Photo by and, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons

More in Asparagus

Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.