Mary Washington Asparagus

Description:

Feathery blue-green foliage, succulent spears, a high producing female variety that tends to self-seed and thus multiply; let foliage stand over winter to insulate crowns and cut back in spring; fusarium resistant, enrich soil with compost

Ornamental Features:

Mary Washington Asparagus' attractive tiny ferny leaves remain bluish-green in colour throughout the season. The flowers are not ornamentally significant. The green fruits are carried on showy spikes displayed in abundance in early summer, which are excellent for cooking and baking.

Landscape Attributes:

Mary Washington Asparagus is an open herbaceous perennial with an upright spreading habit of growth. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance perennial, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. Deer don't particularly care for this plant and will usually leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

• Insects
• Self-Seeding

Mary Washington Asparagus is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• General Garden Use
• Accent
• Herb Gardens
• Mass Planting

Plant Characteristics:

Mary Washington Asparagus will grow to be about 4 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 30 inches. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 15 years.

This perennial does best in full sun to partial shade. It does best in average to evenly moist conditions, but will not tolerate standing water. It is particular about its soil conditions, with a strong preference for rich, neutral soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This plant can be propagated by seed.

This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.