Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus)

Family: Asparagaceae | Edibility: Edible (3/5)

Asparagus racemosus is a PERENNIAL growing to 7 m (23ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Shoots, Roots/Tubers

Harvest Seasons: Early Summer, Fall, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

sweetmeat. — Tender young shoots - cooked as a vegetable.; A preserve prepared from the blanched shoots is said to be very agreeable.; The tuber are candied as a sweetmeat.; The only flavour is said to be that of the sugar.

Habitat & North American Range

Found at elevations up to 1,200 metres in the Himalayas, eastwards from Kashmir. Broad-leaved forests along streams or valleys at elevations of 2100 - 2200 metres in western China. (Zone 8)