Vegetable Cultivar Descriptions for North America

Asparagus, Lists 1-26 Combined

Edited by Todd C. Wehner

Department of Horticultural Science
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-7609
todd_wehner@ncsu.edu

Apollo - Vendor: California Asparagus Seed and Transplants. Parentage: clonal hybrid. Characteristics: early maturing; vigorous; spears taper to a tight head; green color turns purple at the tip. Resistance: fusarium, asparagus rust.

Atlas - Vendor: California Asparagus Seed and Transplants. Parentage: hybrid. Characteristics: dark green spears with a little purple color on bud scales, spear tip and end; tight heads under warm to hot growing conditions, cylindrical spears, slightly tapering speartip; spear production beginning early in the spring and extending late into the cutting season; maintains a tighter head and produces slightly larger spears than UC 157 if planted 7-8" apart in rows; free of asparagus latent virus II. Resistance: fusarium, asparagus rust, foliar disease.

Brock Imperial 84 - Breeder and vendor: ARCO Seed Co. 1984.

California 500 (Mary Washington 500) - Breeder and vendor: Univ. California, Davis. Parentage: 500 x D37, selections from Mary Washington. Characteristics: early, light green color without purple overcast. Resistance: asparagus rust (under California conditions). Similar: Mary Washington. Adaptation: wide. Calif. Agr. 3. 1949.

Dulce Verde - Breeder: Brian Benson. Vendor: California Asparagus Seed and Transplants. Parentage: green spear producing parents from Purple Passion; tetraploid. Characteristics: All green spears, medium to large diameter spears very sweet, mild asparagus taste, very tight heads and tightly compressed bud scales; similar to Purple Passion in other horticultural characteristics. Similar: Purple Passion. Adaptation: mild to warm and tropical climates. 2000.

Eden - Breeder and vendor: Division of Hort., Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Ont., Canada. Parentage: selection from Elmira. Characteristics: good dark-green color, especially adapted for freezing. Resistance: asparagus rust. Adaptation: wide. Prog. Rpt. 1934-1948, Div. of Hort., Ottawa, p.59. 1945.

Edsbest I - Breeder: Edward L. Nigh, Jr. Vendor: Arizona Ag Con. Parantage: four way cross UC 157 FI male (AZ 75-C) + Wash 500 (AZ 91) = AZ 82-J x UC 157 F1 female (AZ-73) + Brock male (IVB 73-B) = AZ-80C. Characteristics: cold tolerance, early emergence; spears large and straight with slightly tapered tight tips; dark green, adapted to hot desert climates; reduced susceptibility to Fusarium spp. and rust; exceptional yields during hot harvest climates resulting from late emerging branchlets.

Edsbest II - Breeder: Edward L. Nigh, Jr. Vendor: Arizona AgCon. Parantage: Brock male(IVB-75)+UC 157F1 female (AZ-73) = AZ-82 H x Male NJ Giant (F1), AZ-85. Characteristics: early emergence following cold temperatures; tolerance to excessive desert climate, reduced susceptibility to Fusarium attributed to stress; dark green, straight spears; tips tight and slightly tapered, bracts tight; high yield due to early through late harvests.

Emerald (NHG 81) - Breeder: L.C. Peirce. Vendor: University of New Hampshire. Characteristics: high yield, no purple color on stalk or tip, same as existing cultivars in tenderness and sugar content, but milder flavor. Resistance: tolerance to rust. 1984-1985.

Grande - Vendor: California Asparagus Seed and Transplants. Parentage: hybrid. Characteristics: dark green spears with a little purple color on bud scales, spear tip and end; tight heads under warm to hot growing conditions, cylindrical spears, slightly tapering speartip; spear production beginning early in the spring and extending late into the cutting season; produces larger spears than Atlas, so should be planted at a higher density (6-8" apart in rows) to reduce spear size; free of asparagus latent virus II. Resistance: fusarium, asparagus rust, foliar disease.

Jersey Knight - Breeder and vendor: Jersey Asparagus Farms. Parentage: F1 hybrid. Characteristics: all male (androecious); adapted to temperate and warm climates; 7 days later than Jersey Supreme; high yield; medium to large spear diameter (control by spacing); green spears with slightly purple bracts under cool conditions. Resistance: rust. 2002.

Jersey Supreme - Breeder and vendor: Jersey Asparagus Farms. Parentage: F1 hybrid. Characteristics: all male (androecious); adapted to temperate warm and cool climates; early maturity; high yield; medium to medium large spear diameter (control by spacing); green spears with slightly purple bracts under cool conditions. Resistance: rust. 2002.

Mary Washington 499 - Breeder and vendor: Univ. California, Davis. Parentage: 499 x D37, selections from Mary Washington. Characteristics: green spears with slight purple overcast, compact heads, not as early as California 500. Similar: Mary Washington. Adaptation: wide. Calif. Agr. 3. 1949.

Minnesota 4-Way Cross - Breeder: Univ. Minnesota, St. Paul. Vendor: Farmer Seed and Nursery Co. Parentage: numbered plants selected from Mary Washington. Characteristics: did not prove superior to Washington. Similar: Washington. Adaptation: not widely tested. 1949.

Purple Passion - Vendor: California Asparagus Seed and Transplants. Parentage: selection from Violeta d' Albinga (cultivar from Albinga, Italy); tetraploid. Characteristics: burgundy-colored spears with creamy-green interior color; tightly compressed bud scales; matures in early spring; ships well. Resistance: fusarium.

Raritan - Breeder and vendor: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick; N.J. Parentage: Carter's Special. Characteristics: medium to dark green spears; spear tips tight; high branching brush; very vigorous; good production. Resistance: reasonably free from rust. N.J. Hort. News Feb. 1955.

Seneca Washington - Breeder and vendor: Robson Quality Seeds, Hall, N.Y. Parentage: male and female plants of Mary Washington crossed. Characteristics: increased vigor, yield, size of shoot and uniformity compared with Mary Washington. Resistance: rust. Similar: Mary Washington. Adaptation: regional (same as Mary Washington). Robson Catalog. 1944.

UC 157 - Breeder and vendor: California Asparagus Seed and Transplants. Parentage: clonal hybrid. Characteristics: early spring harvest; high yield; cylindrical, slightly tapering spears are green from end to tip; tip is tightly closed; medium to medium-large spear diameter. Adaptation: moderate to hot climates. 2001.

Viking - Breeder: Hort. Expt. Sta., Vineland Station, Ont. Canada. Vendor: Stokes Seed. Parentage: original stock of Mary Washington. Characteristics: large size, vigorous growth, heavy yield, with spears having a slightly paler green color than Mary Washington; considerable resistance to rust. Similar: Mary Washington. Adaptation: general. Rpt. H.E.S. 1947-1948. 1945.

Waltham Washington - Breeder: Waltham Field Sta., Univ. of Massachusetts, Waltham. Vendor: several seedsmen. Parentage: selection from Washington. Characteristics: uniformity and high yielding. Resistance: asparagus rust. Similar: Washington. Adaptation: northeastern United States. 1956.