Pointers about Buying Asparagus "Fresh asparagus should be reaching markets soon - if it isn't there already. Asparagus is more expensive than other vegetables because much of the harvesting and preparation during processing is done by hand." AKA Sparrow Grass Asparagus is native to most of Europe, Northern Africa, and Western Asia. Only young asparagus is eaten before the buds have opened and the shoots become woolly. Asparagus is a perennial plant. It is also a succulent! If you take a close look at them you can see the similarities between the plant and a cacti. There is traditional green asparagus and white asparagus. To achieve white asparagus, growers will cover the shoots with soil so that there is no exposure to sunlight. This creates a "blanching" effect when the plant cannot achieve photosynthesis. The best way to prep fresh asparagus is the wash and trim the bottoms of the plant. The bottom near the root wi...