Short Description
Garden asparagus is a perennial plant that can grow up to 1.5 metres in height.
Its leaves are small and scale-like.
Young shoots grow from underground roots. They are fleshy, whitish or pale reddish covered with tight scaly leaves. These shoots are cut young for eating. Later, these shoots develop into a green, broom-like stem with thin, needle-shaped leaves.
The flowers are drooping and white to greenish. The corolla has six petals and is bell-shaped.
The fruits are bright red berries.
Features
Garden asparagus
Asparagus officinalis
thin broom-like branches
red berries
In the city
In town, asparagus often grows in verges or on embankments. It prefers dry, moderately nutrient-rich sites with sandy soil.
As a vegetable, it was cultivated in many urban gardens and fields and has often gone wild.
Fun Facts
A distinction is made between white asparagus and green asparagus. For white asparagus, the shoots are harvested before they break to the surface. Green asparagus grows above ground.
Breakdown product of the sulphur compounds cause for the distinctive smell in urine after the consumption of asparagus. However, only a part of the population is thus affected; it is congenital.
It flowers from May to July.
It lives for several years and generally flowers and fruits annually (perennial plant).
- Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
The genus name "Asparagus" can be derived from the Greek word "asparagos", which means "young shoot" and refers to the use of the plant.
Asparagus has long been known as a medicinal plant that is used in the treatment of bladder problems and for detoxification.
Sources
Frucht, Hagen Graebner, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spargelbeeren.jpg?uselang=fr
Triebe, Clemens Pfeiffer, Bild-by, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Spargel-mit-wurzel.jpg
Habitus, H. Zell, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Asparagus_officinalis_001.JPG
Spohn, M., Golte-Bechtle, M. & Spohn, R. (2015) Was blüht denn da? Stuttgart: Franckh Kosmos Verlag.
Page „Gemüsespargel“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 16.11.2016, 14:31 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gem%C3%BCsespargel&oldid=159745197 (Accessed: 20.12.2016).
Bundesamt für Naturschutz (n.d.) Artensteckbriefe, URL: http://floraweb.de/pflanzenarten/artenhome.xsql?suchnr=636& (Accessed: 20.12.2016).