Common name: Korean Mint Pinyin: tu huo xiang Part used: Leaf ...

Asparagus cochinchinensis (Lour.) Merr.Common name: asparagus tuberPinyin name: tian men dongPart used: tuberFamily: LiliaceaePlant DescriptionThis herbaceous, dioecious perennial with slightly woody, climbing stems 3-6 feet in length resembles thehouseplant A. sprengeri but is hardy to Zone 5. The stems bear short needle-like side stems with the formand function of leaves (cladodes), plus short spines. Tiny bell-shaped greenish flowers are borne in Mayor June, followed by quarter-inch round green berries in September. The berry becomes translucent whenripe, revealing one or two round black seeds within and resembling a fish eye.PropagationBerries will stay moist for months in cool storage. Remove seeds from pulp. Plant in 72-cell trays, keepevenly moist. A few fresh seeds will germinate immediately, but most come up after 15 months atvarying temperatures 70-40ºF. Seedlings may be transplanted into larger pots and held for a season ormore. Propagation from tubers, in our experience to date, has been unsuccessful.Field ProductionPlant sturdy seedlings in full sun, average well-drained soil, at an 18-inch radius. Benefits from mulchingbut seems little affected by drought. Train emerging stems to 4-foot plant stakes to encourage floweringand fruiting. More stems emerge from the crown each year as the plant ages; the number of tubersincreases proportionally. Yield on 3-4 year plants is estimated at 3 pounds dry weight per 100 square feet.PestsNone noted.HarvestAfter tops have died back in autumn, clip to stubs. Dig beside the crown and take only a few tubers,allowing the plant to regenerate. The cylindrical or spindle-shaped, yellow-brown tubers areapproximately one to two inches long and dry to half that length. They remain somewhat sticky and shinyor translucent, as befits their Yin-nourishing function. Cut into half-inch pieces for decoction.NotesThe tubers are sometimes used fresh, also are juiced.© 2009 High Falls Gardenswww.highfallsgardens.net