Ming Fern – Asparagus retrofractus (A. macowanii) Share this:Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Shop our Growers Choice Subscription! Shop Now Designed with love! Our Grower's Choice Subscription freshly picked and delivered to your door every month. Shop Now Common Name: Ming Fern Botanical Name: Asparagus retrofractus (A. macowanii), as-PAIR-a-gus re-tro-FRAC-tus Decorative Life: About 21-28 days. Availability: Year Round Family Roots: Member of the Liliaceae (lily) family. Native to South Africa. Family relatives include daylily, hyacinth, tulip, aloe, lily-of-the-valley, star lily, desert-candle, and poker-plant (torch-flower). Personality: Has tufts of fine, feathery foliage along stems. Stems to 16 inches, classed as a monocotyledon, leaves mostly parallel veined. Plant is a herbaceous perennial from tuberous roots. Storage Specifics: 36-41 F Tidbits: Not a true fern. With over 3000 species, the lily family includes many medicinal and food species in addition to ornamental species. Recent Research Findings: Fujino et al. (1981) showed that vaselife was increased from about 10 to 26 days in water simply by recutting the stems.
