- any plant of the genus Asparagus, of the lily family, especially A. officianalis, cultivated for its edible shoots.
- the shoots, eaten as a vegetable.
- any Eurasian liliaceous plant of the genus Asparagus, esp the widely cultivated A. officinalis, having small scaly or needle-like leaves
- the succulent young shoots of A. officinalis, which may be cooked and eaten
- a fernlike species of asparagus, A. plumosus, native to southern Africa
