Shatavari
Asparagus racemosus
Family: Asparagaceae
What it is like
Asparagus racemosus is a PERENNIAL growing to 7 m (23ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9 and is frost tender. It is in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil.
Height (m): 7
Where it is found
Found at elevations up to 1,200 metres in the Himalayas, eastwards from Kashmir. Broad-leaved forests along streams or valleys at elevations of 2100 - 2200 metres in western China.
E. Asia - China, Japan, India.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Tender young shoots - cooked as a vegetable. A preserve prepared from the blanched shoots is said to be very agreeable. The tuber are candied as a sweetmeat. The only flavour is said to be that of the sugar. The roots are 5 - 13cm long.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 5
Shatavari (this is an Indian word meaning 'a woman who has a hundred husbands') is the most important herb in Ayurvedic medicine for dealing with problems connected women's fertility. The rhizome is a soothing tonic that acts mainly on the circulatory, digestive, respiratory and female reproductive organs. The root is alterative, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, demulcent, diuretic, galactogogue and refrigerant. It is taken internally in the treatment of infertility, loss of libido, threatened miscarriage, menopausal problems, hyperacidity, stomach ulcers and bronchial infections. Externally it is used to treat stiffness in the joints. The root is used fresh in the treatment of dysentery. It is harvested in the autumn and dried for use in treating other complaints. The whole plant is used in the treatment of diarrhoea, rheumatism, diabetes and brain complaints.
Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
Antispasmodic: Relaxes muscular spasms and cramps, calming nervous irritation.
Aphrodisiac: Increases the sexual appetite.
Demulcent: Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.
Digestive: Aids digestion.
Diuretic: Acts on the kidneys, promoting the flow of urine.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Galactogogue: Promotes the flow of milk in a nursing mother.
Infertility: Used in treating problems of human fertility.
Women's complaints: A very vague title, it deals with a miscellany of problems peculiar to the female sex.
Other
Rating:
The squeezed root is used for washing clothes.
Soap: Plants used directly as a soap substitute.
How it is grown
Easily grown in any good garden soil. Prefers a rich sandy loam. This species is not very frost-hardy and generally needs to be grown in a frost-free or fairly frost-free climate. It can be grown as a half-hardy perennial in areas where the winter is too cold for it to survive outdoors. The tubers are harvested in the autumn, stored in a cool frost-free place and replanted in the spring. The rots of this species are commonly collected from the wild for medicinal use. Overcollection in some areas of its range are causing conservation concerns. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagating it: Seed - pre-soak for 12 hours in warm water and then sow in spring or as soon as the seed is ripe in early autumn in a greenhouse. It usually germinates in 3 - 6 weeks at 25°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in a sunny position in the greenhouse for their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer. Division in early spring as the plant comes into growth.
Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds; South Wall. By. West Wall. By.
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 8-11
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist