Purple Passion Asparagus Plant

Bare-root.
Item #0906
FREE Shipping
on orders of $99+*
Buy now, pay later with PayPal
available at checkout.

Description

The Purple Passion Asparagus will bring color to your garden!

This perennial vegetable is sweet and mild, with 20% more natural sugar. Purple or burgundy asparagus has sweeter stalks than green asparagus! These vitamin-rich spears are so tender, you can eat them right out of your garden.

You’ll love the unique, nutty flavor. The stalks of purple asparagus turn green when cooked. Purple Passion Asparagus is cold hardy and heat-tolerant.

Harvest asparagus plants from early April through mid-May.

Each order comes with a pack of 10 bare-root asparagus starts (mostly male).

Survival Guaranteed!

Since 1816, Stark Bro’s has promised to provide customers with the very best fruit trees and plants. It’s just that simple. If your trees or plants do not survive, please let us know within one year of delivery. We will send you a free one-time replacement, with a nominal shipping fee of $9.99. If the item in question is not available, we can issue a one-time credit to your account equaling the original product purchase price or issue you a refund. Read more about our warranty policy.

Characteristics

Bloom Color Yellow
Fruit Color Purple
Fruit Size Medium
Hardiness Zone Range 3 - 10
Pollination Not Required
Ripens/Harvest Early April To Mid May
Shade/Sun Full Sun
Soil Composition Loamy
Soil Moisture Well Drained
Soil pH Level 6.5 - 7.0
Taste Nutty, Sweet
Texture Firm Smooth
Years to Bear 3

Size & Spacing

Mature Size

When your plant matures, it will be approximately 3 - 4' tall x 12 - 24" wide.

Recommended Spacing

We recommend spacing these plants 12 - 24" apart to ensure room for growth.

Zone Compatibility

This Variety's Zone Range 3 - 10
My Hardiness Zone ?
The USDA hardiness zones offer a guide to varieties that will grow well in certain climates. Each zone corresponds to the minimum winter temperatures experienced in a given area. Make sure that your hardiness zone lies within the zone compatibility range of this variety before ordering.

Pollination

Pollination is not required for this variety.

This variety does not require pollination to produce a harvestable crop.

Tools & Supplies

Having the proper tools and supplies when growing your own can make the difference between a good harvest and a great harvest! Here's a list that our experts recommend for this variety.

Planting & Care

Learn all about how to grow asparagus plants in The Growing Guide. An entire section of our website dedicated to your growing success.

Shipping Information

Arrives when it's time to plant

Your success is our priority. We work hard to make sure that your order arrives at the ideal time for planting in your location based on your local climate conditions.

Tags

We've 'tagged' this item with specific keywords that help you find other products that share features or characteristics with this one. Select a tag below to view all the items that have that particular trait.

Questions & Answers

Have a question? Ask owners.Have a question about this? Ask people who own it.
Start typing and see existing answers.
94 Questions
Why did you choose this?

Purple passion asparagus is the best we have ever grown.

I know this variety and love it.

very sweet flavor, but not really hardy for many years up north climates, but worth it for flavor

These have been a favorite of mine, large, sweet and hardy. I am starting a new row and am going to continue using purple passion! They hold up well in the cold and heat. They also seem to come in…

What is the powder (from shipping) covering the bare root asparagus crowns?

It's a lime dusting to prevent mold in transit. You can plant as-is or rinse to remove the dust prior to planting if you prefer.

How long until it produces edible asparagus?

Read the asparagus growing guide. The first year, you need to let the plants grow without cutting them. The second year you can do a light harvest, but still need to let most of the stalks go to "fern" so they can continue to grow strong in subsequent years. You can harvest as you wish in the third year. If you don't let your plants go to fern without cutting them for the first two years, you won't have good growth for harvest in later years.

Can asparagus be grown in containers?

Yes, asparagus can be grown in containers, but it's important to use large containers (at least 18 inches deep and 12 inches across) and to be aware that their lifespan in containers is shorter than when grown in the ground

Can I plant purple asparagus next to my regular asparagus?

I planted purple passion asparagus next to the jersey giant asparagus and have encountered no problems so far. Important note: my asparagus are only in their second year in my garden and so are not fully established. Both varieties seem to be doing well but the jersey giant is much larger and productive, as advertised. All 10 root crowns I planted came back this year for jersey giant, 9 out of 10 for purple passion. I left about 3 feet between rows to help keep the varieties separate. Both delicious.

Can I plant these now ?

We appreciate you reaching out to us. Because weather and soil conditions vary so much from year to year and even within your zone, it's best to think of your planting time as a range of favorable conditions instead of an exact time.

You can plant new plants and trees:
1) when the ground is not frozen.
2) when daytime temperatures are above freezing (32ºF) and below 90ºF.
3) when extreme weather (blizzard, hail, torrential rain, etc.) is not in the forecast. Be sure to keep plants watered if you're transplanting in warm and/or dry weather.

If you have any further questions please don't hesitate to reach back out to us. Have a great day!

This is the first year I planted purple passion asparagus. Two of the plants are covered in relatively large green berries. Does this mean these are female plants? Is there anything special I should do?

Yes, the berry producers are female. Pick them off (do not eat the berries), as you don’t want the plant to put energy into berry production. Good luck! My asparagus is going gang-busters and gave us a nice crop in early summer.

Are the purple passion asparagus 2 year plants?

Thank you for your question. Our asparagus crowns come in a package of 10, which are one-year-old crowns.

How tall do the ferns grow?

On my 1-2 year old plants the fern height is 24"-36". Older plants show fern growth 30"-48". My windy location tends to push them over, with no adverse effect observed.

Are the purple passion asparagus container compatible?

Yes, you can! See YouTuber Hollis and Nancys Homestead channel. He has an excellent series of videos demonstrating the process.

On the Stark Bro's website you suggest to harvest Asparagus from early April through mid May. Is it not OK to eat it through the year as long as it producing spears?

I have read on other web sites that harvesting only during this period will allow the plants to be more productive in the future. By allowing the ferns to grow, it will be replenishing nutrients for future production and result in healthier plants.

Customer Reviews

307 Ratings
4.0out of 5 stars
307 Ratings

Rated 5 stars by 60% of reviewers

Rated 4 stars by 13% of reviewers

Rated 3 stars by 9% of reviewers

Rated 2 stars by 7% of reviewers

Rated 1 star by 12% of reviewers

1-10 of 307 Reviews
Rated 5 out of 5
May 6, 2025
Purple Passion Asparagus Plant
Very happy with the health of the plants I purchased.
I am looking forward to my first harvest.
Thank you; Everything I purchase from you makes me
keep coming back.
Terry/Oregon
Rated 5 out of 5
Apr 17, 2025
5 Stars - Gorgeous Purple Asparagus Off to a Great Start!
I recently ordered bare root Purple Passion asparagus crowns from StarkBros.com, and I'm really pleased with what I received. The crowns were large, healthy, and clearly fresh-no mold, rot, or dried-out spots.

I got them in the ground right away, and within a couple of weeks, I already see spears pushing up through the soil. It's so exciting to watch them grow! I chose Purple Passion for its sweeter flavor and beautiful color, and I can't wait to enjoy harvests for years to come.
Rated 5 out of 5
Nov 18, 2024
Bigger size & tender!
Just amazing! Some are the size of a half dollar at base, even those are tender down to ground level. Great size to BBQ! I have ordered these from Stark years ago & wanted to start another patch. I have not nor will not order any green ones after having had these, no comparison! I live in zone 6 with clay soil, which I did amend some with aged horse manure but have had plants show up here & there in original non-ameded soil, hardy/adventurous ones I guess! So give them a try!
Rated 5 out of 5
Oct 28, 2024
Very happy!
Thriving and I expect to get a meal next spring! Very happy!
Rated 5 out of 5
Oct 13, 2024
I have had these in the ground for two years now. They all came up and of course, I won't harvest until the third year.
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 23, 2024
Planted in containers in spring and have been growing through fall.
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 21, 2024
The Best
Absolutely the best asparagus you will ever put in your mouth! Easy to grow and delicious on your plate!
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 20, 2024
Growing very well in mid Michigan with partial shade.
These are ALL growing very well in less than ideal conditions, so I'm pretty stoked about what's gonna sprout up next year.
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 11, 2024
Prolific purple asaparagus
I'm a bit of a skeptic of decently priced asparagus crowns and what not, but I thought $30, what's the worse that can happen? Package arrived timely, had the exact amount of asparagus crowns ordered, and I admit, I waited nearly 3.5 months to plant them. I had multiple life events prevent me from doing it earlier, so I wasn't expecting much. Boy, was I wrong! Not only did all 30 plants pop up, but they're now spreading and multiplying, and getting bigger and bigger each day! Truly cannot believe how fantastic of a plants these are. If I hadn't already ordered 30 in my first go around, I would have ordered many, many more. Highly recommend!
Rated 5 out of 5
Sep 10, 2024
Purple bare root asparagus
All of the purple asparagus grew. This is the first year, so I have not been able to enjoy them yet. Very pleased with the growth of the plants. Letting them go to seed and looking forward to next season.