Asparagus officinalis L.
Asparagus, wild asparagus, garden asparagus
Many of us think of asparagus as the short stalks from the grocery story, delicious or awful-tasting, depending on who you ask. But these young stalks are babies. They are harvested after the plants become well-established, leaving behind some to grow to maturity and continue to the next season. Asparagus is a native of Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia.
Plants: 3–5′ (1–1.5 m) tall. Erect stems branch extensively into progressively finer branches and feathery “leaves,” which are themselves fine stems.
Leaves: Foliage is delicate-looking and resembles soft needles at close range.
Flowers: Flowers are small and bell-shaped, and greenish white to yellowish.
Fruits: Red-orange berries are about ⅛–⅜″ (6–10 mm) in diameter. They are not edible.
Edibility: Young shoots are delicious. Don’t eat the berries though. From Wikipedia:
There is a recipe for cooking asparagus in the oldest surviving book of recipes, Apicius’s third century AD De re coquinaria, Book III. It was cultivated by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans, who ate it fresh when in season and dried the vegetable for use in winter.
Online References:
Asparagus officinalis L. ssp. officinalis
8/7/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 2 × 1′ (62 × 41 cm) 
10/25/2024 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine 
10/25/2024 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine 
10/22/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 5 × 3½″ (13 × 9.2 cm) 
7/25/2025 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 13 × 9″ (34 × 22 cm) 
6/20/2016 · Wildlife Pond Trail, Beaver Brook Conservation Area, Hollis, New Hampshire 
8/1/2009 · Stan & Connie’s, Falmouth, Maine 
10/2/2010 · Route 209, Milford, Pennsylvania 
ID is uncertain 
10/2/2010 · Route 209, Milford, Pennsylvania ID is uncertain 
10/22/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm) 
9/25/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm) 
10/22/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm) 
8/7/2009 · Tom and Susan’s, Pepperell, Massachusetts · ≈ 15 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm) 
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin) |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms |
| Class | Liliopsida | Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family |
| Subclass | Liliidae | Includes lilies, orchids, and many others |
| Order | Asparagales | A diverse group that includes asparagus |
| Family | Asparagaceae | Agaves, asparagus, hyacinths, and others |
| Genus | Asparagus | Ancient Greek name for (duh) asparagus |
| Species | officinalis | Sold as an herb, often applied to plants with real or supposed medicinal qualities |
Asparagus officinalis description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.
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