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Perennial Plant · zones 2–9 · 15 varieties

Asparagus

Asparagus officinalis

Asparagaceae — the only crop in its plant family here.

Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is a perennial plant for USDA zones 2–9. It wants full sun and pH 6–7 soil, with about 1 in of water weekly. First real harvest comes in 2–3 yr. Watch for asparagus beetle and rust. Below: its full sourced profile from 6 extension sources, plus a planting calendar timed to your frost dates.

Zones 2–9 — USDA USDA
Sun Full sun
Water Moderate
First harvest 2–3 yr
Mature size 3–5 ft
Spacing 12–18 in
Soil pH 6–7
Frost Hardy
When to plant asparagustypical · zone 6b
Your zone
…or your ZIP, for your real frost dates

Establishing
Harvest
Growing
Dormant

Typical dates for zone 6b — set your zone or ZIP for yours. This calendar assumes the crop is started indoors. Timing is a guide from the crop's sourced growth stages; confirm with your local frost dates and extension before you sow.

Growing asparagusevery fact says where it came from

What we will not put a number on

We do not give a feeding rate for this crop, and that is deliberate rather than a gap. The figures published by extension services are pounds of nitrogen per acre for a production field — they do not convert safely to a raised bed or a pot without knowing your soil test and your fertilizer's analysis, and guessing errs toward burning roots. It is also why every chart you find online disagrees with the next one.

We give watering as a depth per week rather than gallons per plant, because that is how it is actually measured and how the published figures are written. A gallons-per-plant number depends on your spacing, your soil and whether the plant is in a pot — so it would look more precise than it is.

Site & soil

Hardiness zones
2–9
Sun
Full sun
Soil pH
6–7
Soil texture
Sandy, Loam, Well drained
Frost tolerance
Hardy

No published figure for a heat limit. We looked — where a number is missing here it is missing from the research, not skipped. The crop’s frost and heat tolerance above still applies.

The plant

Mature height
3–5 ft
Mature spread
1.5–3 ft
Growth rate
Moderateest
Spacing in row
12–18 in
Between rows
36–60 in
Planting depth
6–8 in
Support
Self-supportingest
Grown from
Division, Transplant

There is no line here for a container size, because we have no figure to put there. We went looking and wrote down what we read — it is missing on purpose, not because nobody checked.

Water & feeding

Water needs
Moderate
Water per week
1 in/wk
Critical water
Establishmentest
Feeding
Moderate

Timing & fruiting

Years to first harvest
2–3 yr
Harvest cues
Stem reached harvest size
New spring growth damaged at
28–32 °F
New spring growth killed at
28 °F

Edible parts per source: stem.

What tends to go wrongmost-cited first
PestsAsparagus beetleSpotted asparagus beetleAphidsCutworms
DiseasesRustFusarium crown rotPhytophthora crown rotPurple spotCercospora leaf spot

Compiled from the extensions cited below. Which ones actually show up depends on your region — your extension's local list is the last word.

⚠ Reported toxicityverbatim from cited sources

Different parts differ — the edible part is the stem; the notes below flag other parts or preparations.

PeopleToxic berries, Toxic raw shoots

Recorded exactly as the source states it — not medical or veterinary advice. If a person or animal may have eaten a toxic part, call Poison Control (1-800-222-1222) or your vet / the ASPCA line (888-426-4435).

All 15 varietiesthe ones with their own page are linked
Variety Type DaysColorDiseaseWhat it is known for
Apollo F1 Hybrid — Green RUST FUSARIUM_WILT
Atlas F1 Hybrid — Green RUST FUSARIUM_WILT Urban Farmer describes this asgives a heavy crop
Guelph Millennium F1 All Male Hybrid — RUST
Jersey Giant F1 All Male Hybrid — RUST FUSARIUM_WILT Urban Farmer describes this asgives a heavy crop
Jersey King F1 All Male Hybrid — Green RUST FUSARIUM_WILT
Jersey Knight F1 All Male Hybrid — Green Urban Farmer describes this asgives a heavy crop
Jersey Supreme F1 All Male Hybrid — Michigan State University Extension records this astakes the heat
Martha Washington Heirloom Open Pollinated —
Mary Washington Heirloom Open Pollinated — Green
Precoce d'Argenteuil Heirloom Open Pollinated — Green
Purple Pacific — Purple Royal Horticultural Society (UK) describes this asgives a heavy crop
Purple Passion Open Pollinated — Purple
UC 157 F1 Hybrid — Green RUST Urban Farmer describes this astakes the heat
Viking KB3 Heirloom Open Pollinated — Keene Organics describes this astakes the cold
Waltham Washington Heirloom Open Pollinated — Green
Sources6 cited · 6 organizations
  • Clemson Cooperative Extension (HGIC)
  • Iowa State University Extension and Outreach
  • NC State Extension
  • University of Maryland Extension
  • University of Minnesota Extension
  • Utah State University Extension

We compile bare facts from these university-extension and horticultural sources, never copied prose. 18 of the 21 values on this page carry a citation. The rest are marked est; hover one and it says why — either nobody publishes a figure we could point at, or a person set it and attached no source. Figures vary with climate and seed source; confirm with your local extension before you buy.

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