We are very excited to introduce some new Andean root crops this season! We have a diverse offering of Yacon, Mashua, and Oca varieties from our friends at Peace Seedlings. These crops have been grown for centuries in South America as nutritious and easy to grow staple crops and now you can diversify your garden or farm with these amazing plants.
Yacon
Yacon is quickly becoming the most popular of these ancient root crops as it is very easy to grow and produces abundant crops of gigantic delicious tubers. Although they look just like a sweet potato their taste is closer to a water chestnut, apple, pear, or celery. They can be eaten fresh, baked, or even cooked down and turned into a Yacon molasses. Yacon is very high in inulin and is now being used to help treat type II diabetes. The plant gets 4-5 feet high and is typically harvested after the first frost in the Fall.
Mashua
Mashua will look familiar to many gardeners, as it is actually a nasturtium that produces deliciously spicy edible tubers. Give this vine something to climb up and enjoy its beautiful edible flowers all summer long followed by a Fall harvest of its unique and beautiful tubers that taste similar to nasturtium flowers. These can be cooked and eaten on their own or added to a potato dish to give it a spicy kick. Mashua has also been used in South American gardens to keep out rodents that are deterred by the spiciness of the tuber.
We also have many new varieties of Oca that come in a dazzling array of different colors, from creamy white to bright yellow to sunset red. You will recognize the leaves of oca as being very similar to its close cousin, the common sorrel plant. These easy to grow tubers are perfect for adding some diversity to your garden and kitchen and are great for the gardener who doesn’t want to worry about any pests or diseases plaguing their crops. The crowns of Yacon and the tubers of Oca and Mashua can be stored for the winter and planted out again in the Spring just like a potato. Plant them this season and enjoy the unique taste of the Andes for years to come. We look forward to these amazing plants becoming a staple in gardens and farms across the country.