Asparagus adscendens – Flowering plants

Asparagus adscendens is an evergreen perennial, shrub, or subshrub, medicinal herb plant. The stems are tall, suberect, terete, smooth, white, and much-branched. The branchlets are climbing, ash gray-white, grooved and angled. The angles are minutely scabrid. The spines are 1-2 cm long, stout, and straight. The cladodes are dense, slender, filiform & soft. It produces white tuberous roots. The flowers are usually bisexual, small in many fid and inflorescnce racemes. Pedicels are jointed above or up to the middle. Bracts are minute. Perianth segments are spreading. Ovules are many in each cell. The fruit is a globose pulpy berry. It has been used in Ayurveda as an immunity booster and as a general health tonic.

Scientific classification

Family: Asparagaceae
Genus: Asparagus
Species: A. adscendens
Scientific Name: Asparagus adscendens
Synonyms: Asparagus satawur, Asparagopsis adscendens
Common Names: West-Himalayan Asparagus

How to grow and care for Asparagus adscendens (West-Himalayan Asparagus)

Light:

It requires bright indirect light or filtered sun. Avoid direct hot afternoon sun which may cause the leaves to yellow. Tolerates full shade, but foliage may turn a lighter green.

Soil:

It grows well in organically rich, evenly moist, well-drained soils.

Temperature:

It thrives well in ideal temperature between 68°F – 72°F during daytime and temperature 50°F – 55°F for night time.

Water:

Water regularly during the growing season (from spring to autumn), Keep the soil moist but not soggy. Allow the top one inch of soil to dry out between waterings. Water sparingly in winter, but do not allow the soil to dry out completely.

Fertilizer:

Fertilize monthly spring through fall with a balanced houseplant fertilizer diluted by half.

Propagation:

It can be easily propagated by seed or division. The best time to propagate an Asparagus adscendens is in the spring before it starts producing new growth. Soak seeds for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring. It germinates in three to six weeks at 25°c.

Pruning:

Prune back stem tips as expected to maintain plant form and promote dense foliage growth. If the plant loses its attractive shape, stems may be cut back close to the soil level to regenerate.

Re-potting:

Re-pot in the standard potting soil when roots push through the top of the soil and the drainage hole. Always use a pot one size larger or you can just prune the roots.

Pests and Diseases:

It is susceptible to Mealy Bugs, spider mites, aphids, scale, and thrips. Leaf spot and rots may occur. It does not like pesticides so use a mild solution of insecticidal soap to get rid of plant pests.

Benefits of Asparagus adscendens

• Asparagus adscendens is a source of nutritious starch that can be used like salep. To make salep, the root is dried and ground into a powder. The young shoots are probably edible, used like asparagus.
• The root is demulcent and used as a tonic. It is also useful in diarrhea, galactagogue, dysentery, and general debility.
• The tubers are rich in protein and especially credited with nutritive and aphrodisiac properties.