Some of you can no doubt remember the book Stalking the Wild Asparagus by Euell Gibbons from the 1970s. Gibbons became quite a celebrity back in those days explaining and promoting the eating of wild foods, doing commercials for Grape Nuts, and of course promoting his books.
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is an herbaceous perennial that grows to a height of three or four feet from stout rhizomes. It is native to Eurasia and Africa where it has been used as a vegetable and for medicinal purposes since Roman times. It was likely introduced to North America in the 1600s or 1700s. It is now widely planted in gardens and has also escaped the garden to become known as wild asparagus. It used to be placed in the Lily Family but more recently has been placed in a new family, the Asparagaceae or asparagus family.
Wild asparagus has been documented in all but a handful of counties in North Dakota. It occupies a variety of sites ranging from abandoned farmsteads to shelterbelts, road ditches, railroad right of ways, drainage ditches and similar habitats. Most everyone is familiar with the appearance of asparagus, and although the plant dies back every fall, the old growth is quite persistent. And even though it may persist through the winter months into spring, it is quite easily spotted during fall when it starts to turn yellow while other plants have died back or turned brown. It is more common than most of us realize. If you make a point of looking for it, I think you will be surprised at how much is out there.
If you like asparagus, consider harvesting some wild asparagus, and now is a good time to start looking for it. Pay particularly close attention to fence lines, as many birds feed on the fruits of asparagus and end up dispersing the seeds while perched on a fence. Some hunters of wild asparagus will go so far as to keep a written record of where they have observed the wild asparagus or GPS the location, so they know exactly where to look the following growing season.
So, consider stalking the wild asparagus! Even if you do not plan on harvesting some next spring, you will get a better sense of how much of it is growing out there, and how important birds can be in dispersing seeds of asparagus and other plants.
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More Information
- Asparagus officinalis: Garden Asparagus (University of Arkansas)
- Gathering Wild Asparagus (Hunt Gather Cook, Hank Shaw)
- The Hunt for Wild Asparagus (University of Wyoming)
