Cultivar 307: Mary Washington

Mary Washington is an asparagus cultivar, not a fruit cultivar. Catalog sources describe it as a large, early, prolific Washington type selected for heavy production, long unbranched shoots, and tender dark green spears that stay tight budded well above cutting height. One nursery description calls it a giant asparagus and credits years of breeding work by the United States Department of Agriculture. [S1] [S2]

The sources place Mary Washington within the broader Washington strain group and note that related names were sold, including Washington, Martha Washington, and Giant Washington. A 1937 northern planting catalog says Cornell experiments found the Mary Washington strain much better than Martha Washington strains and says this was the strain being sold. A 1950 Daniels catalog repeats the USDA breeding attribution and presents it as an improved standard, not a local novelty. [S1] [S2]

The clearest descriptive material concerns the shoots. Sources describe them as large, early, and prolific, with spears that do not branch near the ground and can often be cut as long unbranched shoots with tight buds. The Daniels catalog adds that the shoots are enormous, tender, vivid dark green, and stay tender while holding their branching point well above cutting height. It also describes the cultivar as rust resistant and claims exceptional yield and quality. [S1] [S2]

The packet does not give direct hardiness wording, a release year, or a named breeder beyond the general USDA attribution. Geographic context comes mainly from northern nursery marketing and from the Cornell comparison cited in the 1937 catalog, which at least places Mary Washington in northern commercial use by that time. [S1] [S2]

Summary source basis

• S1: Hardy fruits for Northern planting, trees, shrubs, 1937
• S2: Daniels planting guide, 1950

This summary currently draws chiefly from Daniels planting guide, 1950, with 2 additional supporting sources linked below.

Selected source quotations

“MARY WASHINGTON This Giant Asparagus, the result of years and years of plant breeding work done by the United States Department of Agriculture, is everywhere admitted to be the finest asparagus grown.”
— Daniels planting guide, 1950, p29

“MARY WASHINGTON—One of the best old stand-by varieties; makes a heavy growth, large, tender tips; can be cut early and runs a long season.”
— Planting time, 1950 / Alpha Nursery, p6

“MARY WASHINGTON ASPARAGUS. The shoots are large in size, early, prolific, and do not branch near the ground”
— Hardy fruits for Northern planting, trees, shrubs, 1937, p15

Direct parent cultivars

• No direct linked parent cultivars promoted yet.

Parentage claim text

• No direct breeding_cross claim text yet.

Derived or downstream cultivar links

• No derived or downstream lineage links yet.

Source-story quotations

• MARY WASHINGTON This Giant Asparagus, the result of years and years of plant breeding work done by the United States Department of Agriculture, is everywhere admitted to be the finest asparagus grown.Daniels planting guide, 1950, p29
• MARY WASHINGTON This Giant Asparagus, the result of years and years of plant breeding work done by the United States Department of Agriculture, is everywhere admitted to be the finest asparagus grown.Daniels planting guide, 1950, p29
• MARY WASHINGTON This Giant Asparagus, the result of years and years of plant breeding work done by the United States Department of Agriculture, is everywhere admitted to be the finest asparagus grown.Daniels planting guide, 1950, p29
• MARY WASHINGTON This Giant Asparagus, the result of years and years of plant breeding work done by the United States Department of Agriculture, is everywhere admitted to be the finest asparagus grown.Daniels planting guide, 1950, p29

Taxonomy context: No family-tree context surfaced yet.

Related cultivars mentioned in source context