Garden Asparagus Asparagus officinalis
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- ah-SPAIR-ah-gus oh-fiss-ih-NAH-liss
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Asparagus is a long-lived perennial vegetable that is native to Europe, Africa and Asia but it has naturalized in the United States and is often found along roadsides and ditches. It has rhizomatous roots. Erect, perennial herb, thick, succulent, and unbranched when young; leaves alternate, scale-like and often spiny, terminal branchlets very narrow and needle-like, clustered; flowers axillary, drooping, 6-parted, bell-shaped, yellow-green; fruit a bright red berry.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Common insect problems include asparagus beetle, spotted asparagus beetle, and aphids. Common disease problems include fusarium, rust, and needle blight. Consider planting resistant varieties and remove all leaves after fall die back.
Asparagus- Latin for the plant sperage.
officinalis-Latin for sold as an herb or used in medicine.
VIDEO Created by Elisabeth Meyer for "Edibles, Bulbs, and Houseplants" a plant identification course offered in partnership with Longwood Gardens.
- Profile Video:
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Vegetable Garden and Pollinator Plants
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- 'Jersey Giant'
High yields and large spears. Resistant to rust and fusarium. - 'Mary Washington'
Heavy yield, dark green shoots - 'Purple Passion'
Purple (fades to green when cooked); sweet/less stringy, excellent raw. Resistance rust/fusarium/crown rot
- 'Jersey Giant'
- 'Jersey Giant', 'Mary Washington', 'Purple Passion'
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
-
- 'Jersey Giant'
High yields and large spears. Resistant to rust and fusarium. - 'Mary Washington'
Heavy yield, dark green shoots - 'Purple Passion'
Purple (fades to green when cooked); sweet/less stringy, excellent raw. Resistance rust/fusarium/crown rot
- 'Jersey Giant'
- 'Jersey Giant', 'Mary Washington', 'Purple Passion'
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Asparagus
- Species:
- officinalis
- Family:
- Asparagaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Division
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe, Asia, North Africa
- Play Value:
- Textural
- Wildlife Food Source
- Edibility:
- Young spears (shoots). Harvest time: collect asparagus spears in the early spring, while very young. Only collect spears from areas you know have NOT been treated with pesticides. Safe handling procedures: wash spears thoroughly with warm water to remove dirt and debris. Do not use dish detergent or any type of sanitizer. These products can leave a residue. Peel off the outer skin to within an inch of the top of the spear. Tie spears into bundles (about eight to a bundle) and place lengthwise into boiling salted water. Boil for about 10 minutes until tender, but not soggy. Serve hot with melted butter, or cold with oil and vinegar and seasonings.
- Dimensions:
- Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 5 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 3 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Herbaceous Perennial
- Poisonous
- Vegetable
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Multi-stemmed
- Growth Rate:
- Medium
- Texture:
- Fine
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- High Organic Matter
- Sand
- Soil pH:
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Red/Burgundy
- Fruit Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Summer
- Fruit Type:
- Berry
- Fruit Description:
- In late summer, female plants produce ornamental red berries that are hard and shiny.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Summer
- Flower Petals:
- Tepals
- Flower Description:
- The flowers develop as hermaphrodites and mature to become unisexual. Both male and female flowers produce small, yellow-green tepals In June or July.
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Leaves:
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Feel:
- Soft
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Showy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Whorled
- Leaf Shape:
- Linear
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Description:
- Soft, feathery, needle-like leaves arranged in whorls.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Cross Section:
- Round
- Stem Form:
- Straight
- Stem Surface:
- Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
- Stem Description:
- Young shoots are thick and stand upright. They are green or purple in color with triangular bracts along the stem. As the stems mature they become thin and multi-branched.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Lawn
- Landscape Theme:
- Edible Garden
- Design Feature:
- Border
- Mass Planting
- Small groups
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Salt
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
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Poisonous to Humans:
- Poison Severity:
- Low
- Poison Symptoms:
- CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN. SKIN IRRITATION MINOR OR LASTING ONLY FOR A FEW MINUTES. Contact dermatitis from young, raw shoots; eating of berries may cause gastrointestinal problems
- Poison Toxic Principle:
- Unknown
- Causes Contact Dermatitis:
- Yes
- Poison Part:
- Fruits
- Stems
