Like onions and garlic, asparagus is a plant in the lily family. People eat the stalk and tip of the garden asparagus as a vegetable. Not all of the more than 300 other species, or kinds, of asparagus are good to eat, however. Some are poisonous but are prized for their beauty as plants. Crops of garden asparagus can be harvested year after year from a single plant.

Where asparagus is grown

Wild asparagus is found in the Eastern Hemisphere, from Siberia to southern Africa. Garden asparagus grew wild in the region of the Mediterranean Sea. It was prized as a food by the ancient Greeks and Romans. In the 1600s it became popular in France and in England, where it was often called “sparrowgrass.”

Asparagus can grow where winters are cool or cold. Today much asparagus is grown in Peru, Japan, Germany, Mexico, and the United States. The leading asparagus-producing states are California, Washington, and Michigan.

How asparagus is grown

The young shoot of the plant, called the spear, is the part that is eaten. Asparagus spears grow from a part of the root called the crown. The crown is planted about 10 inches (25 centimeters) deep in sandy soil. It takes about two years after planting before the asparagus can be harvested. Each crown sends up spears for about six weeks during the spring and early summer. In perfect conditions, a spear can grow 10 inches in a single day. The young shoots are picked in the spring. Asparagus still must be picked by hand. That makes it an expensive crop to grow. A plant will continue to grow spears for about 15 years.

The spears of the asparagus plant are usually green because they contain chlorophyll, the substance that harnesses light energy to make food for plants. Some growers shield the growing plant from light. Asparagus grown in that way stay white. Many people like white asparagus better than green asparagus.

Cooking asparagus

Most people prefer cooked asparagus, but it can be eaten raw. Some people prefer to peel it. Asparagus may be cooked by steaming or boiling. It is often served hot with melted butter, or cold with oil and vinegar.