Asparagus Purple PassionAsparagus
科:百合科
Family:Liliaceae
属:天门冬属
common name:Asparagus
introduce:Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Liliaceae
Missouri Native: No
Native Range: None
Height: 3 to 4 feet
Spread: 1.5 to 2 feet
Bloom Time: Flowers not showy
Bloom Color: White to yellowish green
Sun: Full sun (only)
Water: Medium moisture
Maintenance: Low
General Culture:
Easily grown in average, medium wet, well-drained soil in full sun. Prefers organically rich soils that are evenly moist. Usually planted from roots (crowns). Roots take 2-3 years to produce a crop. May also be grown from seed, but this requires more expertise and care and takes about one year longer to produce the first crop. Plant roots or seed in early spring. Important to keep bed free of weeds.
Noteworthy Characteristics:
Asparagus is a perennial vegetable that produces edible shoots or spears which may be harvested in April-May. Plants are male or female. Males do not have to expend energy in producing flowers and fruit and typically produce better crop yields. Plants eventually grow into towering ferns in the summer and then die off after frost and are dormant during the winter. Female plants produce red berries in late summer that will drop in autumn and can cause self-seeding problems. Purple Passion is a cultivar which produces attractive purple spears which have a mild, nutty flavor and are reputedly sweeter than most other asparagus varieties. Provides excellent purple color if added to salads raw, but turns green when cooked.
Problems:
This cultivar has some resistance to rust, root/crown rot and fusarium. Asparagus beetles and Japanese beetles can also be a problem in some areas of the U.S., but rarely of such magnitude as to require pesticide applications.
Uses:
Grow in the vegetable garden. Foliage can be used in floral arrangements.
