Asparagus

Asparagus officinalis is a dioecious perennial herb arising from a stout, branching rhizome bearing fleshy storage roots. In spring it sends up thick, succulent, scale-tipped shoots (the edible spears) which, if left to grow, develop into tall, feathery, much-branched stems 1 to 1.5 m high. The true leaves are reduced to tiny scales, while the apparent foliage consists of needle-like green cladodes borne in clusters along the branches. Small, bell-shaped, greenish-yellow flowers hang singly or in pairs from the axils, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Female plants produce small red berries containing black seeds. Native to Europe, North Africa, and western temperate Asia, it grows wild on sandy soils, coastal areas, and riverbanks, and is widely cultivated as a vegetable.