Norwood is renowned for its abundance of wild asparagus.
Every spring, asparagus lovers make their migration to Wright’s Mesa to forage for delicious spears. With foraging in general, the key is to know what to look for, when to look and where. When it comes to asparagus hunting on Wright’s Mesa, there’s no doubt that once you know what you’re looking for, you’ll find it everywhere!
When to forage for wild asparagus
Norwood’s asparagus season begins as early as late-March and runs through June. Asparagus tends to grow along with the spring grass. Once the fields start to turn green and lush, along comes the asparagus. The best time to hunt for asparagus on Wright’s Mesa is during the weeks surrounding Mother’s Day, which also tend to be the peak of asparagus season. As summer nears and temperatures heat up, asparagus season fades.
How to spot wild asparagus

They easiest way to spot wild asparagus is to look for old plants from previous years. Asparagus is a perennial plant which grows back in the same location year after year. In most places on Wright’s Mesa, asparagus plants form in clusters along fence lines. These clusters have a bushy appearance, which from a distance resemble dried up tumbleweeds. New asparagus plants are tall, green and ferny, much like fennel or dill. Once you spot an asparagus cluster, you may have to dig around a bit through the old growth and surrounding grass. Let your eyes adjust, asparagus spears either blend into the spring grass or stick out like a sore thumb.
Where to find wild asparagus
Asparagus grows in full sun and likes a little extra moisture, but not too much. On Wright’s Mesa, asparagus tends to grow mostly along fence lines adjacent to ditches as well as along road sides which tend to have more precipitation drainage.
When foraging for asparagus, it’s important to keep out of private property. Don’t hunt for asparagus on private drives, or cross fences or ditches. Be respectful and stick to county road sides and the fences that line them!
How to harvest wild asparagus
Throughout the asparagus season, plants send up skinny spears first, fat spears next, then finish with skinny spears. Asparagus is fast to grow and can grow up to an inch a day. The best practice for harvesting asparagus is to use a knife and cut each spear at ground level, later trimming asparagus where it’s stalk becomes tender and easily breakable. Asparagus plants that are kept cut will continue to send up more spears throughout the season so you can come back to a single plant multiple times. However, it’s important leave several spears to grow fully during a season as over harvesting asparagus plants can weaken or even kill the plant.
Don’t have time to hunt for wild asparagus?
The FRESH Food Hub has got your back with organic asparagus that’s as close to fresh picked as you can get without picking it yourself.
Cooking asparagus
There are a number of ways to cook asparagus from steaming to baking, boiling and grilling. Asparagus can be preserved by blanching and freezing, canning and pickling. Here’s a delicious recipe from the FRESH Food Hub!
Coinciding asparagus season is grilling season! Whether you’re having a backyard barbecue or swinging through Norwood on your next desert camping adventure, wild asparagus is a must have for cooking over the fire. Check out this quick and easy recipe!
Campfire Grilled Asparagus
Ingredients:
- Fresh picked wild asparagus
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
Instructions:
- Get your campfire going some hot cooking coals and a little bit of flame.
- Wash and dry the asparagus and trim any tough stalks at the bottom.
- Brush asparagus with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.
- Place on a grill over the coals, rotating asparagus every couple of minutes.
- Cook until grill marks form and stalks become soft but not limp (be careful not to over cook as asparagus will burn quickly).
- Remove from the fire and enjoy!