Hardy Edibles

Asparagaceae

asparagus

Asparagus officinalis

2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9

Survives zone 3 through 8

Young emerging spears eaten raw or cooked — the entire crop; grassy-sweet. ⚠ The red berries on female plants are not edible (mildly toxic) — only the spears are food.

Hardiness
Zone 3 to 8
Habit
Herb
Edible part
Shoot
Ripens
Spears cut in spring for about 6–8 weeks, then growth is left to rebuild the crown
Mature size
Herbaceous fern-like perennial to ~1.5 m when fronded
Light
Full sun
Soil pH
6.0–7.0
Environment
Temperate coastal
Status
Cultivated
Years to fruit
2–3 yrs
Pollination
Dioecious — separate male and female plants; male plants are more productive of spears