Asparagus maritimus
(L.) Mill.
Asparagaceae
Asparagus amarus DC.
Asparagus levinae Klokov
Asparagus marinus Rchb.
Asparagus officinalis maritimus L.
Asparagus scaber Brign.
Asparagus tauscheri Fisch. ex Ledeb.
Common Name:
Plant growing in the Berlin-Dahlem Botanical Garden, Germany in autumn
Photograph by: A.Savin
General Information
Asparagus maritimus is a herbaceous perennial plant producing a cluster of branched shoots up to 60cm tall.
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food.
Known Hazards
None known
Botanical References
50- Title
- Flora Europaea
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1964
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
Range
Northern Mediterranean from Spain to Greece and north to Ukraine.
Habitat
Sandy soils, mainly near the coast[
50- Title
- Flora Europaea
- Publication
-
- Author
- ?
- Publisher
- Cambridge University Press
- Year
- 1964
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for Europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.
].
Properties
| Edibility Rating |  |
| Habit | Perennial |
| Height | 0.60 m |
| Self-fertile | No |
| Cultivation Status | Wild |
Cultivation Details
Easily grown in any good garden soil[
200- Title
- The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Huxley. A.
- Publisher
- MacMillan Press
- Year
- 1992
- ISBN
- 0-333-47494-5
- Description
- Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
]. Prefers a rich sandy loam[
1- Title
- RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956
- Publication
-
- Author
- F. Chittendon.
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press
- Year
- 1951
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).
]. Plants are very salt tolerant.
A dioecious species - both male and female forms must be grown if fruit and seed are required.
Edible Uses
Young shoots[
177- Title
- Plants for Human Consumption.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Kunkel. G.
- Publisher
- Koeltz Scientific Books
- Year
- 1984
- ISBN
- 3874292169
- Description
- An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
]. No more details are given but it is likely that they are cooked and used like asparagus[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Medicinal
None known
Other Uses
None known
Propagation
Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring or as soon as the seed is ripe in early autumn in a greenhouse. It usually germinates in 3 - 6 weeks at 25°c[
134- Title
- Growing from Seed. Volume 2.
- Publication
-
- Author
- Rice. G. (Editor)
- Publisher
- Thompson and Morgan.
- Year
- 1988
- ISBN
- -
- Description
- Very readable magazine with lots of information on propagation. An interesting article on Ensete ventricosum.
]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer[
K- Title
- Plants for a Future
- Author
- Ken Fern
- Description
- Notes from observations, tasting etc at Plants For A Future and on field trips.
].
Division in early spring as the plant comes into growth.
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Useful Temperate Plants Database 2016 by
Ken Fern,
web interface by
Ajna Fern
with help from
Richard Morris.
