Plant in full sun to light shade in most any conditions and water occasionally to not at all once established. Thought to be hardy to 15-20° F and perhaps would come up from its tuberous roots in colder situations. This curious very dry growing plant can be used as an interesting specimen or even and open short hedge. It has short thorns on the stems, so is a bit rough to work with without gloves but is not dangerously so or really what one would consider to be wickedly thorny.

Asparagus aphyllus is naturally widely distributed in southwestern and southeastern Europe as well as in northern Africa and western Asia and is most abundant in southern Spain and Portugal. The name for the genus originates from the original Greek word 'asparagos' that was given to the cultivated asparagus. The specific epithet means without leaves as the pseudo leaves of this plant are actually considered to be flattened leaflike structures. It is also commonly called Prickly Asparagus and in Spanish is called Espárragos Portugueses.Our plants from seed collected on an old specimen near the Geology Department building at the University of California Santa Barbara. 

Information displayed on this page about Asparagus aphyllus is based on our research conducted about this plant in our nursery library as well as from information provided by reliable online resources. We also include our own observations made about it as it has grown in the nursery gardens and other gardens visited, as well how the crops of this plant performed in the containers in our nursery field. We will also include comments received from others and welcome hearing from anyone who has information about this plant, particularly if it includes cultural information aiding others to better grow it.