Very Wild Asparagus Seeds

currently unavailable The "Very Wild" form of asparagus was selected initially from long lived plants found at my farm. It was one of the few species that survived the hayfield management it was getting along with the timothy and alfalfa.  Stalking the wild asparagus is easy if it is growing in your garden. The wild asparagus, just as Euell Gibbons pointed out, is a readily found plant growing along roadsides and is a delicious treat when you can harvest it. A few years ago, I heard of a truck driver getting a ticket for pulling over on I-94 not far from my farm and picking asparagus. Some of the best wild asparagus is along this area because of its past history with the asparagus industry in southwestern Michigan. Some of  these cultivated plants went feral as in the beginning both male and female plants were used in the production of asparagus. Not so much anymore where male plants are preferred, named and cloned.

The wild stands really winnow out the weakness as well as show the strength of the plant and just what flavors are possible. Certainly it is not the dumbed down flavor we are use to with todays modern cultivars. On the negative side, harvesting plants along the roadsides like the old days is probably not a good idea. The herbicide usage is off the charts and everything is targeted all at once. The wild asparagus is an innocent bystander like many 'weedy or invasive plants' that find a niche perfect for its survival and growth to fruition.  As a result I have seen herbicide damaged asparagus in these areas quite often. However, one dose is not enough to kill these plants so they often recuperate the following year when no herbicide is being applied. I do not think it is wise to eat these plants anymore. However you can often find stands in public areas where there is some mowing but no herbicide as mowing does not destroy the plants.

Plant the seeds 1/4 inch deep and water regularly. The seeds have a rather tough seed coat and it takes a period of 2-4 weeks to sprout. These work well in peat pots where you can out plant after a couple of months of cultivation in the pots. Asparagus seeds can have a dormancy of sorts and sometimes they sprout in the 2nd year. They produce a tap root first and then a top. The seeds can be planted more deeply if you wish and the large seed will allow the seed to pop through the soil easily. This seed is often spread by birds that eat the red fruit. I keep looking for who is consuming them off the shrub. Once I found some casings of them in a white footed mouse nest. They may eat them.

"Oh yeah, its wild, Very wild. " overheard at my farm.