UC309 etc. According to a query on China Agriculture Network, as of March 2023, asparagus varieties include: Mary Washington 500W, Grande, UC309, Cotton Asparagus No. 1, French All-Male Asparagus and other varieties. Asparagus, also known as "Di Bamboo Shoots" and "Southern Di Bamboo Shoots," is a bud of a plant belonging to the family Phragmites australis, which is different from a bud of a plant belonging to the family Asparagaceae.