Asparagus

This perennial garden vegetable (Asparagus officinalis) is a member of the lily family. Native to the East Mediterranean area, it was first cultivated about 2,500 years ago in ancient Greece where the Greeks believed asparagus would prevent bee stings and was a herbal cure for toothaches. The name is derived from a Greek word meaning “stalk” or “shoot.” Originally, asparagus was quite tall and spindly, resembling contemporary wild asparagus, but by the eighteenth century fatter-stemmed varieties had evolved. The cultivated form of this plant has been developed through selective breeding to produce a number of varieties that shade from white to purple.