'UC-157 F2' Asparagus

Asparagus officinalis Origin: Mediterranean (via California) Improvement status: Breeding population Seeds per packet: ~35 Germination tested 08/2024: 92% Life cycle: Perennial This is second generation seed of the most widely grown commercial asparagus variety, 'UC 157', which is a terribly boring name for such a great variety. Bred by two guys named Frank (Takatori and Southers) at the University of California - Riverside, it was released in 1978 and quickly became popular due to its vigor, productivity, tender and delicious spears, and resistance to diseases including rust and fusarium.We're pleased to be offering this F2 seed to encourage growers to explore the diversity that comes out in the F2 generation and hopefully develop some more new asparagus varieties (there are only a few commonly available for sale). While the parent plant was bred for California, this generation should prove more widely adaptable. (But if you're in a very cold-winter area, we recommend you check out t