Asparagus aethiopicus is grown as an indoor plant in cold climates, or as an ornamental garden plant in urban gardens, rockeries or in pots and can be trained up a trellis. It thrives in sun or semi-shade. It is drought tolerant and a good pioneer species. It can be propagated by seed sown in spring, summer or autumn, after cleaning off the fleshy covering. Older clumps can also be lifted and divided; be sure to get a piece of the rhizome with a few attached tubers for every new clump. Gardeners growing this plant outside of its natural range should take note of its weedy nature and take care not to let it escape into surrounding natural areas.

Collecting seed from Asparagus aethiopicus

The populations of Asparagus aethiopicus are deteriorating in South Africa because of habitat loss through agriculture and other related human developments. The Millennium Seed Bank Partnership (MSBP) managed by SANBI, has collected and conserved the seed of Asparagus aethiopicus, in 2016. The seed collected is readily available for any required conservation programme, such as habitat restoration or species re-introduction where relevant. The horticulturists can also make use of the seed to conduct research, such as development of germination or viability tests. The species is a wild relative of Asparagus officinalis, the edible asparagus crop plant, and could potentially be used to develop a new variety of asparagus crop that is resistant to harsh conditions, like drought, pests and diseases, to improve food security in the country.

The MSBP team avoided collecting green fruits because they are immature. Collecting immature seed is very destructive to the population, as the seed will ultimately die within a few days of collection. The best time to collect seed from the species is when most of fruits on the plant turn red and the seed turns black, as a sign of ripeness. The fruits become very soft and easy to remove seed from the fleshy part of the fruit. Only 20% of available seed should be collected to avoid damaging the population. Make use of cotton or cloth bags to carry fruits. The fruits are fleshy and seeds must be removed from the fruit by washing immediately after collecting, to avoid moulding and ultimately rotting. The washed seeds must be kept in open trays to allow ventilation. Most of the ripe fruits can be found between August and November in the Eastern Cape Province. Seeds are stored in a long-term storage unit at under -20ºC temperature and 15% relative humidity.