Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Asparagus
June is the final month for harvesting asparagus in many places, which makes it an ideal plant to look at for our Summer Solstice edition of Notes from the Apothecary. This unusual vegetable crops up in plenty of mythology and folklore throughout the ages, and is used by many modern witches and pagans for love, lust, and luck magic, among other things.
Asparagus, or Asparagus officinalis, is a perennial which means it grows back year after year. It’s a flowering plant, and, if left to mature, may produce small white or yellow flowers and orange berries. It’s one of those plants that looks wildly different at the various stages during its life, which possibly leads to much of the wonder and weirdness around its history.
The Kitchen Garden
Asparagus is relatively easy to grow but requires something I struggle with: Patience! If you grow it from seed, you’ll need to wait at least three years before beginning your first harvest. It’s much more common to grow asparagus from crowns, or root bundles that are already well-established. Even using this method, you need to hold out for two years to ensure a good crop of asparagus that will grow back every year.
Find a good space in your garden or allotment (or other growing space) and dedicate this space to asparagus only. You’ll need to have enough ground available that you can space the plants at least 45cm apart. A sunny spot is best, with soil that drains well and isn’t too acidic. Asparagus loves compost and hates weeds, so carefully till and weed the area and add in some mulch or other organic matter, such as manure. As your asparagus grows, keep the bed weed-free, as asparagus doesn’t cope well with competition from other plants. This includes removing any seedlings that the asparagus produces, although you could replant these elsewhere.
When you let the stems mature, they will eventually flower and possibly produce orange berries—although only the female plants produce these. Do NOT eat these berries. They are toxic and can cause a severe stomach upset.
Asparagus stems are very tasty, much less bitter than many other green veggies and remarkably easy to cook. They go very well with eggs, fish, pulses, and other veggies. Steaming them is easiest (in my opinion) but you can boil, roast, or griddle them, as well.
The Apothecary
Asparagus is widely available in grocery stores or supermarkets when it’s in season, and it’s popular for its many health benefits as well as its taste. This vegetable is high in fibre, which aids digestion and general gut health. It’s low in calories, but high in many micronutrients including vitamin C, vitamin K, and vitamin A.
Asparagus is really high in folate, with a single portion (about 90 grams) of asparagus providing 34% of the adult’s recommended daily amount. Folate, or vitamin B9, helps your body process protein, produce red blood cells, and break down potentially harmful amino acids. It’s essential during pregnancy, and the supplement folic acid is often taken where there is not enough folate in the diet.
A common medical question about asparagus: Why does asparagus make your pee smell? Asparagus contains acids including asparagusic acid, which when broken down by your body’s digestive system, split into sulphuric by-products. Sulphur (or sulfur) is pretty stinky, which is one of the reasons why it’s associated with hell in some Christian traditions. You process these by-products fast, meaning that as soon as 15 minutes after eating asparagus you might notice your pee smells much more pungent than usual!
The Witch’s Kitchen
If you Google “Asparagus Magic”, you will mostly find commentary on a particular episode of Bluey, a cartoon about a dog and her family. There are whole Reddit threads about it! Thankfully, we’ve got some key points about magic and witchcraft using asparagus to help you bypass the pop culture references.
Asparagus can be seen as being associated with hidden truths, concealment, or revealing deception. In Greek mythology, Perigune (?????????) hid herself successfully in a bed of rushes and asparagus. She revealed herself after Theseus committed to not harming her. Due to this, her descendants all revered and honoured asparagus. In Victorian times, women could tell if their men were being unfaithful by the smell of asparagus wee: the plant was used as an aphrodisiac, so if it wasn’t served at the dining table, the only reason for men to be eating it is if they had a mistress. The Islamic folkloric character Nasreddin appears in a tale about asparagus, where he both says the vegetable is delicious and disgusting, depending on the whim of his king. The tale is one of loyalty and lies, and further links the plant to deception and concealment—although without malice, in this instance.
Asparagus is often linked to sex and boosted fertility, due to its phallic shape and its historical use as an aphrodisiac. Asparagus could actually boost some people’s sex drives as it provides vitamin E which can increase blood flow and improve circulation, potentially increasing the intensity of sexual arousal. Of course, sex and intimacy are about more than phallic shapes and arousal! So, explore these aspects of this plant as they feel appropriate to you. Gender-wise, while most people view asparagus as masculine due to its shape, the plant itself comes in both male and female forms, with both forms capable of producing the edible spears. It’s a good reminder than gender is rarely what we see on the surface and bears little impact on a person’s capabilities. Also, just like the plant, people come in all shapes, sizes, and types, and it’s healthy to embrace that!
As a weird and total opposite take on asparagus’s link fertility, Dioscorides stated that an amulet or tea made from asparagus would make someone barren.
Historically, asparagus is associated with both patience and haste. Patience, because cultivating the plant take time, effort, and care. Asparagus beds need conscientious tending and may not provide food for three years. Conversely, cooking asparagus is fast and super easy! One quote attributed to the Roman emperor Augustus is, “velocius quam asparagi conquatur”, and it means, “it was sooner done than asparagus is cooked.” In other words, an analogy for something that is very fast to do. Asparagus imagery could be used in magic where you want to hasten something along, or bring something to fruition quickly.
Asparagus growth starts in spring, linking it to this season, rebirth, regrowth, and resurrection. Anecdotally, this might be why it’s sometimes served with Easter dinners, as a symbol of Christ’s resurrection. However, it could also simply be that it’s a widely available vegetable at that time of year. All perennial plants can be connected to rebirth, and asparagus is a wonderful example of a nourishing green that, when cared for, comes back year after year.
Because asparagus is so seasonal, it’s simply not available as a fresh veggie outside its growing season—although you may be able to find it frozen, canned, or pickled. This links it to temptation and lust, possibly even envy and yearning. The plant can be a symbol for that which is sometimes simply unattainable, and the acceptance of that which we cannot have. It can also symbolise the eventual attainment of goals, and the rewards of patience.
Other common associations include passion and creativity, fire and fire magic, the planets Mars and Jupiter, healing, cleansing, and rejuvenation—especially after a period of struggle. Think of the amazing taste of fresh vegetables after a winter of eating only pickles and dried fruit and veg… that’s the power of asparagus!
Getting back to that Bluey episode, the titular character uses asparagus as a magic wand–and this is actually an option! If you need a wand for magic or ritual purposes, a raw, fresh asparagus stem with its head intact could make a fantastic wand, especially for magic involving fertility, growth, creativity, or healing.
I Never Knew…
When left to mature fully, asparagus plants can grow up to six feet tall and the crowns or root masses may grow up to 5 feet wide!
(Photos: Asparagus bundle photo by Art Rachen on Unsplash [Image ID: A bundle of asparagus wrapped in a dark green ribbon and pale brown string on a black surface.]
Asparagus in a bucket photo by Zoe Schaeffer on Unsplash [Image ID: Asparagus stems poking out of the top of a wood and metal bucket against a blurred background.]
Asparagus new shoots photo by Rick Whittle on Unsplash [Image ID: A new asparagus shoot poking through green and brown grass; more shoots are visible blurred in the background.])
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About the Author:
Mabh Savage is a Pagan author, poet and musician, as well as a freelance journalist and content creator. She’s a nature-based witch, obsessed with Irish and British Paganism and Folklore, plus she’s a massive plant nerd. She’s also a long-time Hekate devotee and a newbie Lokean. She works extensively with the UK Pagan Federation, including editing their bi-annual children’s magazine. Mabh is a passionate environmentalist and an advocate for inclusiveness and positive social transformation.
Mabh is the author of A Modern Celt: Seeking the Ancestors, Pagan Portals – Celtic Witchcraft: Modern Witchcraft Meets Celtic Ways, and most recently, Practically Pagan: An Alternative Guide to Planet Friendly Living. Search “Mabh Savage” on Spotify and @Mabherick on all socials.

