The Plant That Waits Three Years to Feed You

Asparagus is one of the slowest growing edible plants in the world.

For two to three years, asparagus puts everything into building a thick root system called a crown.¹ The fleshy root system needs to develop and store food reserves before it can sustain harvests.² Plants harvested too heavily too soon often become weak and spindly, and the crowns may never recover.³

It’s like an energy bank storing power so the plant can grow for a really long time. The crown and root system can grow to an enormous size, 5 to 6 feet in diameter and 10 to 15 feet deep.⁴ During the first growing season, effective rooting depth is typically limited to the upper 12 to 18 inches of soil, but mature plants may explore depths exceeding 4 feet in well-drained soils.⁵

Once that crown is fully developed, that one plant can feed a family for 15 to 20 years.⁶ Asparagus is a perennial crop that produces spears year after year for 10 to 15 years or longer if the plants are given adequate care.⁷ With proper care, some asparagus beds remain productive for decades.⁸

At that point, every year you’ll be able to harvest asparagus and watch it grow. Because it goes from taking 2 to 3 years to build roots to being able to grow extremely fast. In the peak of asparagus season, spears can grow up to 2 inches per day.⁹ The spears are fast-growing, extending between one or two inches in length each day.¹⁰