BATH ASPARAGUS SEEDS

Ornithogalum pyrenaicum

This beautiful bulbous species was a common sight at market in ancient Bath, where its tender stems with closed flower buds were bundled and sold like asparagus. Likely brought to England by Romans, this Mediterranean species features delicate starry flowers on tall stems and was regularly foraged and sold at market in and around Bath and Bristol prior to WWII. The lopping off of immature flowering stems seems to do this plant little harm, making it a great candidate for permacultural landscapes. Becoming quite popular as a kind of bougie “wild" food in France and Belgium.

Favoring bright woodland margins and damp open spaces, this species is fairly adaptable and hardy. Though it may take a few years for plants from seed to bloom, the plants are long-lived and sow themselves readily if allowed. Their strappy leaves emerge in early spring and tend to be yellow and withered by the time the flowering stem emerges in late spring. This stem is cut for food while the buds are still small and tight, but in bloom the plant stands at nearly 3'. Lovely en masse and suitable for cutting.

These seeds require stratification to germinate and are best sown into pots of moist soil overwintered outdoors in a sheltered location, like a screened porch or cold barn. Once seedlings begin to emerge in early spring they should be pricked out to grow on in individual deep pots outdoors and transplanted as soon as they are well-rooted, around the date of the last spring frost. Water regularly and fertilize occasionally in the first year. Mulch with plenty of organic matter to help maintain soil moisture. In the second and subsequent years these plants require little if any attention, although they will size up faster if they are kept weeded. Flowering stems may be harvested as soon as they appear, usually in the second or third year, although leaving a few to self-sow is encouraged.

Though brave foragers and unsuspecting restaurant patrons no doubt nibble this species raw, we recommend blanching and steaming stems before preparing as you would garden asparagus.

Packet contains at least 30 seeds.