Precoce d'Argenteuil

Precoce d'Argenteuil is a celebrated French heirloom asparagus from the Argenteuil region near Paris, historically the most famous market asparagus of France. It is traditionally grown blanched as fat white spears with rose-pink tips, though the spears turn green and purple when exposed to sunlight. Prized in French cuisine for generations, it produces thick, tender, richly flavored spears earlier than many varieties, as the name precoce (early) suggests. As an open-pollinated heirloom it includes both male and female plants and yields less than modern all-male hybrids, but it is grown for its exceptional flavor and heritage character. It suits USDA zones 4 to 8 and deep, sandy, fertile soil. Mounding soil over the emerging spears produces the traditional white or pink-tipped gourmet crop.