Practical
Plants

Asparagus albus

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Taxonomy and growth

Life cycle
perennial
Height
1 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
hermaphrodite
Pollinators
Bees

Uses

Edible uses

Young shoots - cooked[6][8][3]. A poor substitute for the cultivated asparagus[4].

Plant part
Stem

Environment

Range
Europe - W. and C. Mediterranean. N. Africa.
Habitat
High plateaux in hedges and scrub[6][7].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 8+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring or as soon as the seed is ripe in early autumn in a greenhouse. It usually germinates in 3 - 6 weeks at 25°c[2]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer[K]. Division in early spring as the plant comes into growth.

Cultivation

Easily grown in any good garden soil[5]. Prefers a rich sandy loam[1]. This species is not hardy in the colder areas of the country, it tolerates temperatures down to between -5 and -10°c[5]. The edible young shoots of this plant are sold in local markets in the Mediterranean area[6][8]. Unlike most members of this genus, this species has hermaphrodite flowers

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

    ↩

  2. Rice. G. (Editor) Growing from Seed. Volume 2. Thompson and Morgan. 1988-00-00

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  3. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

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  4. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  5. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

    ↩1↩2

  6. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  7. ? Flora Europaea Cambridge University Press 1964-00-00

    ↩

  8. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

    ↩1↩2

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