Garden asparagus (Asparagus officinalis)
Blooming from mid spring to early summer, the Wild Asparagus, a member of the Lily (Liliaceae) family is found across all of the United States and prefers moist areas and grows in disturbed areas, open wooded areas, pastures, fields, and along roadsides.
This non-native plant, introduced from Europe, grows to over six feet tall and produces small greenish tubular, bell shaped flowers less than ¼ inch long and .05 inches wide.
This plant, in the early spring produces the familiar green asparagus shoots identical to those found in grocery stores.
The young, nutritious stems or shoots are eatable raw or cooked and the seeds used as a coffee substitute. The plant has medicinally qualities and is used to treat aliments of the intestines, kidneys, and liver.
It is not recommended that these plants be used as medicine or food since they may have bad side effects. Similar species, misidentified, may cause illness or death.
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