Snakefeather (Asparagus scandens)

Also known as: asparagus fern, climbing asparagus, climbing fern

Snakefeather is an asparagus weed with thornless, wiry stems and orange berries. It outcompetes native plants and reduces food and habitat for native animals.

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How does this weed affect you?

Snakefeather:

• competes with native plants
• roots form dense mats that suppress native seedlings
• smothers small understorey plants
• reduces food and habitat for native animals.

What does it look like?

Snakefeather is a perennial, low growing herb with twining stems that can climb up to 3 m high.

Leaf-like cladodes

Asparagus plants have modified stems called cladodes that look like leaves. The cladodes are:

• dark green
• flat with a distinct mid-rib
• straight or slightly curved
• 5–15 mm long and 0.5–1.5 mm wide
• in groups of 3 along the stem
• present year-round.

Flowers are:

• white to pinkish
• on short stalks
• singular or in groups of 1–3
• usually present from late autumn to spring.

Fruit are:

• glossy round berries, usually with only one seed
• orange-red when ripe
• 5–7 mm in diameter
• mostly present in spring but can be present year-round.

Seeds are:

• black and round
• about 4 mm in diameter
• rough.

Stems are:

• wiry and spineless
• branched
• grow out from the central crown.

Roots are:

• up to 90% of the plant’s total biomass.
• fibrous with swollen tubers
• attached to the small central crown and to the short rhizomes 

Similar looking plants

Snakefeather looks similar to other asparagus plants including:

• Ground asparagus (Asparagus aethiopicus), which has spines on the stems and longer, paler green cladodes (up to 25 mm long).
• Asparagus fern (Asparagus virgatus), which also has orange berries but they are more oval shaped. Its flowers are greenish white and the cladodes are cylindrical rather than flat.

Where is it found?

In NSW, most infestations are in the Greater Sydney region. A few isolated infestations have been found in the Hunter and South East regions. Snakefeather could grow throughout coastal NSW and could become a serious weed in bushland.

Snakefeather is native to southern Africa. It was introduced to Australia as an ornamental plant. In New Zealand, it is the most damaging of all the asparagus weeds. 

What type of environment does it grow in?

Snakefeather grows in subtropical and temperate climates with high rainfall. Although most plants grow in shade, they can grow in open sites.  Plants are fire and drought tolerant. Snakefeather can also grow as an epiphyte on tree ferns and tree branches. 

Snakefeather is often found close to human habitation. It grows in disturbed sites and natural sites including:

• shaded woodland
• heathland
• sclerophyll forests
• temperate rainforests
• riparian areas and coastal habitats.

Maps and records

• Recorded presence of Snakefeather during property inspections (Map: Biosecurity Information System - Weeds, 2017-2026)
  These records are made by authorised officers during property inspections under the Biosecurity Act 2015. Officers record the presence of priority weeds in their council area and provide this to the NSW Department of Primary Industries. Records reflect the presence of the weed on the date of inspection.
  
  

How does it spread?

By Seed

Snakefeather plants can produce fruit after they are one year old. Green fruit can ripen off the plants and still produce viable seed. The seeds are spread by:

• birds and other animals that eat the fruit
• water
• mud stuck to shoes, vehicles and earth moving machinery.

By plant parts

Plants can reshoot from the rhizomes and the crown. Most spread is from gardeners moving plant parts to new locations and from people dumping garden waste. Earth moving machinery can also spread plant parts.

References

James, T.J., Popay, I., Champion, P., Grbavac, N. and Rhode, B. (2012). An Illustrated Guide to Weed Seeds of New Zealand: New Zealand Plant Protection Society.

Office of Environment and Heritage (2013). Asparagus weeds Management Manual: current management and control options for asparagus weeds (Asparagus spp.) in Australia, Office of Environment and Heritage (NSW), Sydney.

PlantNET (The NSW Plant Information Network System). Royal Botanic Gardens and Domain Trust, Sydney Retrieved 18 September 2025 from: https://plantnet.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/cgi-bin/NSWfl.pl?page=nswfl&lvl=sp&name=Asparagus~scandens

Timmins, S. and Reid, V. (2000). Climbing asparagus, Asparagus scandens Thunb. : a South African in your forest patch. Austral Ecology 25, 533-538.

VicFlora (2025). Flora of Victoria, Royal Botanic Gardens Victoria. Retrieved 10/10/2025 from: https://vicflora.rbg.vic.gov.au 

More information

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Control

Successful weed control relies on follow-up after the initial efforts. This means looking for and killing regrowth or new seedlings. Using a combination of control methods is usually more successful. Check infested sites regularly, plants as small as 10 cm high can produce fruit.

Physical removal

Hand pulling

Seedlings can be hand pulled. 

Crowning

Crowning is a technique of digging out the entire crown that sits just below the surface of the soil. The roots and tubers are left in the soil. This helps prevent excessive soil disturbance in sensitive areas, particularly coastal dune environments. 

Remove stems and foliage to get access to the crown. Use a sharp knife or trowel to cut all of the roots around the crown just below the surface. Lever the crown out of the ground and dispose of it. Any small segment of the crown that is left behind can regrow.

Slashing

Slashing the stems and leaves can reduce the amount of new fruit that forms, and create access for other control methods. Do not slash fruiting plants. Slashing will not kill the plants, and some plants can produce new flowers within one month. 

Disposal

Snakefeather plants can be buried at least one metre deep to prevent reshooting. Crowns and rhizomes can be placed in a black plastic bag and left out in the sun to heat up until they are no longer viable. This usually takes 2-3 months depending on weather conditions.

Dispose of all fruit, because green fruits can ripen and produce viable seeds even if stems are cut. 

Contact your local council for other disposal advise.

Chemical control

Cut stump

This method can be applied to the crown or the stems.

• Cut all the stems horizontally at the base where they meet the rhizomes (crown).  Apply the herbicide across the cut surface of the rhizomes.
• Cut all the stems close to the ground and apply the herbicide to the cut surface of all the stems.

Spot spraying

Spot spray actively growing plants. Ensure all of the foliage is covered. Take care to avoid off-target damage. 

Herbicide options

See Using herbicides for more information.

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Fluroxypyr 200 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 500 mL per 100 L of water
Comments: Spot spray mid-June to late August.
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock feed for 7 days after application. See label for further information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Fluroxypyr 333 g/L (Starane™ Advanced)
Rate: 300 to 600 mL per 100 L water
Comments: Spot spray mid-June to late August.
Withholding period: Do not graze failed crops and treated pastures or cut for stock food for 7 days after application. See label for more information.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L (Various products)
Rate: 200 mL per 10 L of water
Comments: Spot spray.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Glyphosate 360 g/L with Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: Up to 200 mL of glyphosate and 1.5 g of metsulfuron methyl per 10 L of water
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 9 (previously group M), Inhibition of 5-enolpyruvyl shikimate-3 phosphate synthase (EPSP inhibition)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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PERMIT 9907 Expires 31/03/2030
Metsulfuron-methyl 600 g/kg (Various products)
Rate: 10 - 20 g per 100 L water plus non-ionic surfactant
Comments: Spot spray
Withholding period: Nil (recommended not to graze for 7 days before treatment and for 7 days after treatment to allow adequate chemical uptake in target weeds).
Herbicide group: 2 (previously group B), Inhibition of acetolactate and/or acetohydroxyacid synthase (ALS, AHAS inhibitors)
Resistance risk: High

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Picloram 44.7 g/L + Aminopyralid 4.47 g/L (Vigilant II ®)
Rate: Undiluted
Comments: Prune all shoots horizontally at the rhizome. Apply a 3-5 mm layer of gel across the cut surface on the rhizome. See label for further critical comments.
Withholding period: Nil.
Herbicide group: 4 (previously group I), Disruptors of plant cell growth (Auxin mimics)
Resistance risk: Moderate

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Biosecurity duty

The content provided here is for information purposes only and is taken from the NSW Biosecurity Act 2015 and its subordinate legislation, and the Regional Strategic Weed Management Plans (published by each Local Land Services region in NSW). It describes the state and regional priorities for weeds in New South Wales, Australia.

Area	Duty
All of NSW	General Biosecurity Duty All pest plants are regulated with a general biosecurity duty to prevent, eliminate or minimise any biosecurity risk they may pose. Any person who deals with any plant, who knows (or ought to know) of any biosecurity risk, has a duty to ensure the risk is prevented, eliminated or minimised, so far as is reasonably practicable.
All of NSW	Prohibition on certain dealings Must not be imported into the state, sold, bartered, exchanged or offered for sale.
Hunter	Regional Recommended Measure* (for Regional Priority - Eradication) Notify local control authority if found. Land managers should eradicate the plant from the land and keep the land free of the plant. A person should not deal with the plant, where dealings include but are not limited to buying, selling, growing, moving, carrying or releasing the plant.
	*To see the Regional Strategic Weeds Management Plans containing demonstrated outcomes that fulfil the general biosecurity duty for this weed click here

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Reviewed 2025