Foxtail Fern

The foxtail fern is not a fern at all but a relative of edible asparagus, grown for its dense, upright plumes of bright green needle-like foliage that arch out like bottle-brush tails. It is one of the most forgiving houseplants you can keep: chunky tuberous roots store water, so it shrugs off the occasional missed watering, and it asks only for bright indirect light and a free-draining pot. The usual complaints — yellowing, thinning plumes, dropped needles — almost always trace back to too little light or soggy roots, so give it a bright spot and let the top inch of soil dry between drinks.

Those same tuberous roots mean it will eventually fill and even crack a pot, which is your cue to divide it — slice the clump with a clean knife and pot the pieces on, an easy way to make more plants. Wipe or rinse the plumes occasionally to keep them dust-free and watch the leaf joints for spider mites in dry indoor air. One word of caution: this is not the edible asparagus (that is Asparagus officinalis), and the small red berries it sometimes sets are mildly toxic, so keep them away from curious pets and children. Give it light, a snug pot, and a steady but modest watering rhythm, and it will stay lush and architectural for years.

Bright indirect light keeps the plumes dense and upright; a little morning sun is fine. Too dark and it thins out and the needles drop.