It most certainly IS an asparagus plant!! There are some 300 species of asparagus, only one of which is considered edible. But most species will produce at some point in their growth cycle soft, delicate, lacy, fern-like foliage....even Asparagus officinalis or the edible asparagus. But despite what they look like, because they reproduce by flowers and seeds, they are NOT ferns, which reproduce by spores and never produce flowers or seeds.

I have prowled lots of small specialty nurseries for years (this fern is probably about 10 years old because I planted it when I redid my front landscape). I'm pretty sure it's not something I picked up at one of the larger local garden centers. I do have several plants from Bainbridge Gardens and another much smaller Bainbridge nursery (that may not be open all the time) the name I can't recall. Also Jungle Fever Exotics in Ruston (which has closed, sadly) and xera plants in Portland, OR. We also used to have a small nursery that carried unusual plants in Tumwater, near me, that is also out of business now. So, there is no reason to believe it's not the less available variety. I prowl for the unusual. Not sure how to tell whether it's compact or not...how do you measure a fern? I was thrilled yesterday to see that it had a baby! First one, ever.

I’m trying to find the id of this fern; when I put in ruffled edge fern in google, I get Nephrolepis exaltata 'Fluffy Ruffles'. But my fern definitely does not look like fluffy ruffles, because the ruffles are only on the edge tips of the individual leaves, and not the whole leaf. I thought maybe its just sport. Has anyone seen this before?

Blechnum spicant, an evergreen native.