Argenteuil is a rare heirloom that will give you tender, aromatic spears early in the season. The tips are delicately flavoured, with beautiful shades of white, pink and purple. You’ll see crowns forming in the first year, get a light harvest in the second, and from year three, you’re off and running with a full crop.
GROWING TIP Asparagus needs a little patience—but it’s worth it. Plant it in well-drained soil and give it a sunny spot. Keep weeds down while it settles in, and don’t be tempted to harvest too much too soon. It’ll reward you for years to come.
DID YOU KNOW? Asparagus spears grow fast—often overnight—and to keep them tender and fresh, they’re best picked early in the morning, while it’s still cool.
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY Asparagus has deep roots—literally and historically. It comes from Eastern Europe and the Caucasus, with cultivation methods written down as far back as 65 A.D. by a Roman named Columella. The Romans loved it and spread it wherever they went. Centuries later, it found its fame again in France. Louis XIV was a fan—he liked his asparagus served in strips with soft-boiled eggs. Argenteuil, just outside Paris, became the heart of French asparagus production. In the late 1800s it was booming, with over a million tons harvested by 1900. That changed after World War I, but the legacy lived on: modern varieties like Mary Washington trace their roots right back to Argenteuil.
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