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Asparagus is a vegetable.
Asparagus was first grown in Greece about 2,500 years ago!
The name asparagus is Greek for "stalk" or "shoot". Look at a piece of asparagus and you'll understand why!
The scientific name for asparagus is Asparagus officinalis.

Asparagus is a member of the lily family and is related to onions, leeks, and garlic.
There are three types of asparagus - green, white and purple. Green is the most common in the United States, while the white variety is very popular in Europe.
Green asparagus has its color thanks to the process known as "photosynthesis". Do you know what that is? It's when sunlight produces a subtance called chlorophyll in the cells of plants. The chlorophyll in the cells of the plant gives asparagus its green color.

More than 50,000 tons of asparagus covering more than 30,000 acres are grown in California every year. That's a lot of asparagus!
Ninety percent of asparagus is eaten fresh; only 10 percent is canned or frozen.
Asparagus is a favorite vegetable in the spring.

"Martha Washington" is one of the most popular varieties of green asparagus. Do you know who it was named after? George Washington's wife!
One serving of asparagus contains just 16 calories and is a good source of folate and vitamin K.

White asparagus has no chlorophyll because it is kept underneath the soil where the sunlight cannot reach it.
California grows about 80 percent of all the asparagus grown in the United States.

The Spanish word for asparagus is esparrago.
The French word for asparagus is asperge.
The Italian word for asparagus is l'asparago.
The German word for asparagus is spargel.

Over 30,000 acres of asparagus are grown in California every year. Can you guess how many football fields equal 30,000 acres?

More than 50,000 tons of asparagus are grown in California every year. Can you guess how many elephants it would take to equal 50,000 tons?

Most asparagus is eaten fresh; about 10% is canned or frozen.

Asparagus is a favorite vegetable in spring.