A member of the Liliaceae family, asparagus is a perennial vegetable. The stalks are edible and have a particularly subtle flavour. They grow from underground rhizomes and can be various colours: green, white or purple. The rhizomes, commonly known as crowns, bear the roots and grow upwards. Asparagus is generally grown outdoors in fields, but it can also be semi-forced in greenhouses. The asparagus does not have any particular climate requirements, given that it can withstand high and low temperatures.