Monday, April 23, 2018

Wild not wild

And speaking of asparagus, I spied a few "wild" spears out among the grape vines on a recent walk. These are not what's officially called and sold as wild asparagus. They're normal asparagus that have "escaped" into the wild. The vineyards out back are dotted with many asparagus plants. They grown in line with the vines, where plowing and mowing can't reach them. I assume the seeds were scattered by birds from fields where asparagus is grown commercially, or from home gardeners' asparagus beds.

A "wild" asparagus spear growing out in the vineyards behind our house.

These rogue spears are always green because they poke up out of the ground into the sunlight. Unless someone (like me) picks them when they first sprout, the spears grow up and mature into rather large plants that flower and set seed. I used to know where many of them grew, but I've since forgotten. These days I find them later in the season when it's too late to pick them.

2 comments:

  1. And it looks like the budding stems of agaves and aloes.

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  2. So, this one isn't one that you found, and picked to eat with the white asparagus yesterday?

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