North Shore Plant Club
Mary Washington Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis 'Mary Washington')
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| Deciduous Perennial Upright, fern-like in the Asparagaceae Family | |
A rust-resistant American classic bred in 1919 that's supplied backyard gardens with tender green spears every spring for over a century. |
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'Mary Washington' is one of the most influential asparagus varieties ever bred in North America. USDA plant breeder J.B. Norton developed it in the early 1900s and released it in 1919, after asparagus rust — a fungal disease that had swept through the U.S. crop after arriving from Europe — devastated commercial and home plantings alike. Norton trialed hundreds of seedlings for rust resistance and vigor, and 'Mary Washington' emerged as the standout: a reliably productive, disease-resistant green asparagus that became the industry standard for most of the 20th century and remains a mainstay of home vegetable gardens today. Like all garden asparagus, it's a deciduous herbaceous perennial: the ferny, feathery foliage dies back to the ground each winter and re-emerges as fresh spears the following spring. Established plants need full sun and well-drained, fertile soil, and a bed can stay productive for a decade or more once it matures — though patience is required, since spears shouldn't be harvested until the plant's third year in the ground. |
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Pros
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Cons
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| Highlights | Bred by USDA scientist J.B. Norton and introduced in 1919 specifically to resist asparagus rust, 'Mary Washington' set the standard other asparagus varieties were measured against for most of the 20th century. It's still one of the most widely grown heirloom asparagus varieties in American gardens, valued for dependable yields, classic flavor, and rust resistance that holds up even in humid climates. |
Plant Data | |
| Mature Size | 3 - 5 feet tall. 18 - 36 inches wide. |
| Growth Rate | Medium |
| Sun Exposure | Full Sun - Full Sun |
| Moisture Tolerance | Medium : Needs consistent moisture, especially while spears are emerging in spring and during the first two establishment years, but does not tolerate standing water or poorly drained soil. |
| Zones | 2a - 9b (Usually hardy to -50° F) |
| Tags | Adaptable, Attracts Bees, Attracts Beneficial Insects, Attracts Birds, Attracts Pollinators, Deciduous, Disease Resistant, Edibles, Fall Color, Full Sun, Good for Beginners, Grown For Attractive Foliage, Insignificant Flowers, Medium, Native to Europe, Perennial, Potentially Allergenic, Potentially Toxic, Showy Fruits, Tolerant of Frost, Tolerant of Sandy Soil, Vegetables, Well-Drained Soil |
| Bloom Period | June to July |
| Flower Color | Yellow-green |
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Pricing and Availability HistoryClick a label to toggle visibility for that size
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We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!
Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.
Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.
The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.
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Membership is free, but — since we rely on delivery and local pick-up — you have to live near one of our hubs (or be willing to drive to a site to pick them up). If you live farther away, and would like to help us bring the club to your neighbors, please email helpusgrow@northshoreplantclub.com.
To secure the best prices for club members and make sure we know the current plants available from each nursery, we take orders only a couple of times a month.
Shoot us an email at help@northshoreplantclub.com, and we'll be happy to talk about plants or let you know when it's time to buy them!
We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region. It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.
Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!