Asparagus

Asparagus officinalis is a spring vegetable that is a flowering perennial plant species in the genus Asparagus in the lily family and is widely cultivated as a vegetable crop.

Asparagus is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 100–150 centimetres (39–59 in) tall. The root system is adventitious and the root type is fasciculated. The flowers are bell-shaped, greenish-white to yellowish, with six tepals partially fused together at the base; they are produced singly or in clusters of 2–3 in the junctions of the branchlets. It is usually dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants, but sometimes hermaphrodite flowers are found. The fruit is a small red berry, which is poisonous to humans.

Only young asparagus shoots are commonly eaten: once the buds start to open the shoots quickly turn woody and become strongly flavoured.

Asparagus is low in calories and is very low in sodium. It is also a good source of vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc, and a very good source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, rutin, niacin, folic acid, iron, phosphorus, potassium, copper, manganese and selenium, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells. The amino acid asparagine gets its name from asparagus, the asparagus plant being rich in this compound.

Mary Washington (bundle of 10)

Sweet Purple (bundle of 10)