Asparagus ‘Mary Washington’ Seeds

Cold Hardy to Zone 3 | 1 year roots = a crop the very next growing season
An heirloom asparagus variety, Mary Washington is a stem vegetable. An early, high-yielding cultivar, the plant produces long, straight, dark green shoots with tight tips and a delicate, fresh flavor. Harvest shoots in early spring while very young, about 5 to 7 inches long. Asparagus spears can be boiled, braised, roasted, steamed, stir fried, or grilled. Asparagus is considered a superfood for its nutrient rich content, having a high (top 20) Aggregate Nutrient Density Index score (ANDI), or micronutrient-per-calorie density. It is a good source of vitamins B6, C, and K, fiber, niacin, thiamin, and riboflavin. It also contains a range of phytonutrients. Mary Washington, a long-lived, herbaceous perennial, is a member of the asparagus family (Asparagaceae). The plant self-propagates by rhizomatous roots. Dioecious, asparagus requires cross-pollination of 2 separate plants, a male and female, for fruit production. Once established, the plant can produce for decades with proper care, but it should not be harvested until the second year. If asparagus is not harvested, the plant produces a towering fern of attractive feathery foliage of very branched tiny, linear leaves that turn yellow in fall and eventually die back naturally. Mary Washington is a female selection and may also produce ornamental red berries. The berries are toxic and should not be eaten. The plants have ornamental value and are suitable for edible landscapes. Mary Washington is easy to grow. It prefers full sun and loose, organically rich, evenly moist, sandy, well-drained soil with a neutral pH of 6.0 to 7.0 and that is free of weeds. Top dress with compost and apply nitrogen yearly, in early spring. It grows best in cooler locales with long winters. Mary Washington is asparagus rust, fusarium, crown rot and rabbit resistant.
Genus:Asparagus
Species:officinalis
Variety:Mary Washington
Item Form:Pack of 25
Zone:3 – 8
Bloom Start to End:Late Winter – Late Spring
Habit:Upright
Additional Characteristics:Bloom First Year, Easy Care Plants, Edible, Heirloom
Foliage Color:Medium Green
Harvest Season:Early Spring
Light Requirements:Full Sun, Part Shade
Moisture Requirements:Moist,  well-drained
Resistance:Crown Rot, Fusarium Wilt, Fusarium Yellows, Rust
Soil Tolerance:Clay, Normal,  loamy, Sandy
Uses:Beds, Border, Containers, Cuisine, Cut Flowers, Foliage Interest
Restrictions: *Due to state restrictions we cannot ship to the following:
Canada, Guam, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands