Plant Classification

• The scientific name for asparagus is Asparagus officinalis and it is a member of the Lily family. The asparagus fern houseplant is a related species commonly prized for its delicate decorative purposes.
  
  

Name & Historical Origins

• In the Greek language, asparagus translates to shoot or sprout. Early Greeks and Romans favored the vegetable for its taste, texture and presumed medicinal attributes.
  
  

Planting & Cultivation

• Asparagus plants grow from crowns of asparagus planted about a foot deep. The vegetable prefers sandy soil and provides multiple harvests every six or seven weeks during each growing season. Successive harvests yield increasingly thick spears. Although it normally takes three years for the plants to produce viable spears, when properly cared for, an asparagus plant can produce food for 15 or more years.
  
  

Nutrient Information

• Besides having no cholesterol or fat and being low in sodium, asparagus is an excellent source of thiamine, potassium, fiber, folic acid and vitamins A, C and B6.