By the time you actually eat asparagus it is considered to be a stem sprout which has unexpanded foliage as well as flowers. All of the tissue as well as the foliage and stem itself is soft as they have not expanded which occurs when reinforced cells form, providing a sort of structural support for the entire stem.

It is also considered to be a herbaceous perennial plant which means that it keeps growing back each year around the same time for many years. It can grow up to 59 inches tall with stout stems and feathery foliage. The “stems” of a asparagus when it grows are actually just needle-like leaves.