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Herbaceous Perennial

Asparagus officinalis 'Stewart's Purple'

An upright, clump-forming perennial grown for its edible, rich dark purple shoots, known as spears, harvested from mid-spring to early summer. Once cropping has stopped, tall, branching stems develop with airy, feathery, mid-green foliage, 1.5 x 1.5m. Small, inconspicuous, green and white flowers may be followed by sparse red berries

Synonyms

Asparagus 'Stewart's Purple'

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

2–5 years

Ultimate spread

1–1.5 metres

Chalk

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asparagaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy, Columnar upright
Potentially harmful: The young shoots (spears) are edible when cooked. Wear gloves for picking spears as they may a cause skin allergy. Fruits are harmful if eaten
Genus: Asparagus can be evergreen or deciduous perennials or subshrubs, sometimes climbing, with tuberous rootstock. Stems bear both inconspicuous scale-like leaves and larger, leaf-like phylloclades, with small white or pinkish flowers followed by red berries
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in well-drained soil, or a raised bed, in a sunny position. See Grow your own asparagus

Propagation

Propagate by crowns. Although propagation by seed is possible, it is not advisable as seedlings take longer, and may not be male cultivars which produce better plants

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Wildlife gardens

Pruning

Cut foliage down to ground level once it yellows in autumn

Pests

May be susceptible to asparagus beetle, slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to foot and root rots and violet root rot

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