Interesting facts from the history of asparagus. At the same time, the Asparagaceae family, which united such unlike cultures as dracaena, muscari, aspidistra, hyacinth and yucca, owes its name to asparagus. In total, there are about three hundred species of asparagus in nature, some of which are herbaceous plants. There are representatives of the kind of large shrubs, creeping species and vines. It would seem, what could be interesting in plants that have been cultivated by room flower gardeners for about a hundred years, unpretentious, long-studied and described?
And, nevertheless, interesting facts related to asparagus will make a new look at this green inhabitant of the house.
The unique structure of the asparagus plant
It’s worth starting with a detailed review of the structure of the plant itself. The fact that many flower growers and flora lovers considered rigid elastic stems and needle-like leaves of asparagus are actually called phyllocadia or cladodes. In fact, the whole green part is modified stems, on which white or pinkish, small flowers appear annually, and red, orange or, depending on the type, black berries with seeds inside ripen.
Where are the leaves? If you look closely, you can find them too. These are dried triangular scales on the stems, in some species taking the form of thorns.
No less interesting is the underground part of asparagus, consisting of oblong bulbous tubers and thin roots. Thanks to tubers, asparagus can accumulate and retain moisture, nutrients and multiply.
Where is the birthplace of asparagus?
Usually the southern or eastern regions of Africa indicate the homeland of asparagus. In fact, almost all species grown as domestic plants originate from these places. But in the wild, a representative of the genus asparagus can be found in India, on the Mediterranean coast of Europe, in the Far East and even in the European part of Russia.
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In the middle zone and in the southern regions of the country, up to eight species of asparagus can be found in the meadows and in the undergrowth of deciduous forest, the most famous among which is pharmacy asparagus. It is a wild-growing variety of asparagus, young sprouts of which are considered to be a dietary vegetable and a delicacy. Thanks to its powerful tuberous roots, this species of asparagus successfully hibernates, and the aerial part that has died off in winter recovers quickly.
Asparagus easily adapts to a variety of conditions, which leads to the rapid dispersal of plants. The process of spreading asparagus throughout the world is facilitated by birds eating plants and carrying large black seeds for many kilometers.
For example, recognized worldwide ornamental South African species, being exported to America, Australia, countries of the Pacific region or other African states so easily joined in the biocenosis that today they are recognized as weeds. And in some cases decisions are made at the state level to combat asparagus plants, which occupy agricultural areas.
The only exception is asparagus racemosus species. The plant, discovered in 1799 in India, and then found in other areas, for example, in Nepal, today is on the verge of extinction. This is due to the beneficial properties of asparagus, which the local population calls “shatawari”.If we translate the name consisting of two words shatum - “one hundred” and vari - “healer”, it turns out that the species is recognized as a “healer from a hundred ailments”.In addition, the energy of asparagus racemate is extremely favorable, this is the name of the plant in the officially recognized classification.
Today, a remedy from the thick tuberous roots of the plant, recognized by Ayurveda and traditional medicine, has become famous all over the world, therefore wild-growing asparagus racemes are less and less common.
Interesting facts from the history of asparagus
The most ancient cultural species is considered to be asparagus pharmacy, medicinal or ordinary, often referred to as asparagus. Yes, dietary asparagus, so popular with the French, the British and other peoples, is asparagus, which has been cultivated in Egypt and the Mediterranean for thousands of years.
It is obvious that the first graphic image of an asparagus plant dates back to the heyday of Egyptian civilization. Asparagus shoots decorated archaeologists found a fragment of the painted frieze, dating from the third millennium BC.
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In literary sources, asparagus was first mentioned by Apicius, a famous Roman cook, author of the world's first book on food “Re coquinaria”.Obviously, the Romans had such a passion for tender shoots that they did not refuse their favorite dish even during military campaigns in the Alps. To supply the Roman nobility, a special fleet was created, delivering the stalks from the plantations in the colonies to the metropolis. Asparagus became the most important culture for the empire, as evidenced by the fact that Caton the Elder, a prominent statesman of that era, wrote about the cultivation of asparagus in 160 BC.
In contrast to asparagus, decorative asparaguses began to be purposefully grown only a little over a hundred years ago.
Such different asparagus
Asparagus densiflorus was the first in the series of domestic plants of this species. However, due to a serious confusion in the classification of plants for a long time it was referred to as lily plants and was called Asparagus Sprengeri. Already in recent decades, the asparagus family has undergone a major reformation, and Sprenger's asparagus has ceased to be a separate species. Now it is a variety of densiflorus, bearing the name of Karl Sprenger, who brought the first specimens from Africa and devoted half his life to popularize the plant among fans of indoor cultures.
If this species can rightly be called the most popular in the world, then asparagus peristy plants are peculiar record-holders in the size of needle-like clauses, which are very thin and much shorter than in other species. Asparagus pinnate plants are very popular in the East, in China and Japan, since they are well formed and used in traditional miniatures of compositions, bonsai.
The largest species of asparagus, although it also needs pruning, cannot be turned into a tiny tree even for decades. Crescent Asparagus is the indigenous inhabitant of South Africa, where its powerful shoots grow to 6–8 meters. In the homeland of asparagus, plants are used as a hedge in fields and agricultural holdings. Not only is the perennial crop growing quickly, its stems easily twist around the supports and are equipped with spikes that prevent intruders and wild animals from penetrating the beds.
Read also: Sansevieria does not require complicated careThe shoots thinning towards the end really resemble the fox's fluffy tail and make this asparagus plant the most interesting of all the farmed species. 
Asparagus plants of this species are especially decorative for breeders who have received hybrids with completely white shoots.
Asparagus virgatus species is very similar to the asparagus plant, but its shoots can not be called delicacy. They are completely inedible, but fluffy stems are of great commercial importance and are actively grown for the needs of florists. Needle phylloclades of asparagus can stay fresh for up to two weeks and beautifully set off the beauty of the most luxurious flowers in bouquets.
Flowers of Asparagus: Signs and Significance of
As for the colors of asparagus itself, they look like elegant stars, but so small that their appearance is not too noticeable and decorative. But with such an inconspicuous event, at home besides what is happening irregularly, was the cause of the emergence of a variety of prejudices and accept.
One of the signs about the flowering asparagus says that this happens to trouble in the house and even the death of one of the household. It is unlikely that this superstition has a real basis, because the energy of the flower does not bear anything negative, and the harm from asparagus is possible only if a person or a pet eats red berries that ripen after flowering. The plant’s fruits contain toxic saponins that irritate the mucous membrane of the stomach and esophagus and cause diarrhea, vomiting, and other unpleasant symptoms.
At the same time, asparagus has even more useful properties, and in the language of flowers that was popular in the Victorian era, a sprig of asparagus presented to someone has a special meaning. The value of the asparagus flower, included in a small bouquet or depicted as a souvenir, will certainly please the young lady, for the modest stars symbolize the natural charm.
Video about asparagus
