Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) For thousands of years gardeners have eagerly awaited the tender asparagus spears which surface every spring. It's highly nutritious qualities and delectable flavour were well known to the Egyptians as well as the Greeks and Romans. It seems to have arrived in the New World with some of the first Europeans. An old advertisement dating from 1719 calls it 'English Sparrow-grass Roots'. Sparrow-grass or otherwise, it also makes a fine ornamental. Tall, light-green, feathery fronds which form after the spring harvest are sometimes used in cut flower arrangements. Like rhubarb, asparagus grows to perfection in the North. Another compelling reason to grow your own - asparagus is at its absolute best when travelling directly from the garden to the kitchen with no delays. We offer large, top quality crowns from Nourse Farms. Bareroot crowns