Precoce d'Argenteuil Asparagus
Precoce d'Argenteuil Asparagus
Species: Asparagus officinalis
History: Precoce d'Argenteuil (translated from French as 'early Argenteuil') is an heirloom French variety that has been grown since either the 1700s or 1800s depending on the source. It was first listed in 1885 and is a selection from the Giant Dutch Purple variety of asparagus, along with the middle and late Argenteuil varieties which were all likely named after the commune in Paris. It is still commonly used in French dishes to this day. The variety is also sometimes called White Gold if grown without exposure to light, causing the plants to remain white.
Why We Grow It: Precoce d'Argenteuil may not be as productive as modern varieties, but its excellent flavour more than makes up for it! Living up to its name, this variety produces thick shoots quite early in the season as well.
Fruit Specs
Fruit Specs
Recommended Use: Cooking
Fruit Size: Large
Storage: Keeps about a week when refrigerated
Harvest: April - Mid
Growing Specs
Growing Specs
Canadian Hardiness Zone: 4
Soil Preference: Sandy loam, very tolerant of salt
Flowering Time: Summer
Bloom Colour: Green
Pollination Requirements:
Sun/Shade Requirements:
Full sun (approx. 8-10 hours of sun daily), can tolerate partial shade but will have reduced yields
General Growth Habits:
Grows thick spears, lower productivity, hardy
Shipping vs. Pick Up
Shipping vs. Pick Up
CLICK HERE to see how shipping compares to pick up.
Shipping: Every year we ship thousands of trees across Canada (except BC due to CFIA regulations). We carefully bag roots in damp sawdust, then box them and send them out via courrier. CLICK HERE to see our shipping policy.
Pick-up: We also have thousands of trees picked up from our nursery each year. The pick-up options is free, though you must wait until you have been emailed a confirmation that your order is ready to pick up, which will have further information such as hours, locations, etc. We really appreciate if you can make an appointment to pick up, then we can be as organized as possible during our busy season.
Size at Purchase
Size at Purchase
Precoce d'Argenteuil Asparagus comes as the following grade:
-1 year rooted crown
Our bareroot perennial vegetables are sold as root crowns or tubers and will often have little to no vegetative growth on them.
Orders that are cancelled last minute due to size (being "too small"), will still incur the applicable cancellation fees if the plants are true to our grading standards as per the agreement of sale when the order was placed.
Like with our other plants, we recommend planting our perennial vegetables dormant so the transplanting process is less stressful on them. As a result, they may not look like much when you receive them but they tend to start growing fairly quickly.