Key Features
- Produces crisp, rounded underground roots commonly known as jicama
- Vigorous warm-season climbing vine with lush green foliage
- Develops attractive white to purple flowers under favorable conditions
- Grown for its mild, crunchy underground roots used fresh or cooked
- Interesting choice for edible gardens, vegetable beds, and warm climates
Growing Benefits
- Adds an unusual root vegetable to your home garden
- Provides a rewarding long-season crop for warm-weather gardeners
- Creates attractive vertical growth when given sturdy support
- Offers versatile roots for salads, slaws, snacks, and cooked dishes
- Brings variety to edible and specialty vegetable gardens
Seed Specifications
- Common Name: Mexican Yam Bean, Jicama, Mexican Turnip; Botanical Name: Pachyrhizus erosus
- Plant Type: Warm-season perennial vine commonly grown as an annual
- Colors: Green foliage, white to purple flowers, brown-skinned roots with white flesh
- Height: Vigorous vines may reach around twenty feet or more with support; Sunlight: Full sun
- Soil: Fertile, loose, well-drained soil; Water: Regular, even moisture without waterlogging; Germination Time: Approximately seven to fourteen days under favorable conditions
- Sowing Depth: About one inch; Spacing: Approximately twelve to eighteen inches apart; Growing Zones: Best suited to frost-free tropical and subtropical areas, while it can be grown as an annual in suitable warm climates
- Flowering/Maturity: Long-season crop, often requiring several months for mature roots; Uses: Fresh eating, salads, slaws, snacks, stir-fries, and cooked vegetable dishes
Growing Tips
- Soak seeds briefly before sowing to help soften the seed coat.
- Wait until soil and weather are consistently warm before planting.
- Provide a sturdy trellis or support for the vigorous climbing vines.
- Keep soil evenly moist while avoiding standing water around the roots.
Seed Storage
Store unused seeds in a cool, dry, dark location away from moisture and direct sunlight. Keep them in an airtight or moisture-resistant container and protect them from heat and humidity.
Important: Mexican yam bean seeds should not be eaten. The seeds contain naturally occurring compounds that make them unsuitable for consumption. The mature underground root is the commonly cultivated edible portion.
Unique Facts About Seeds
- Mexican yam bean is commonly known as jicama or Mexican turnip.
- Its botanical name is Pachyrhizus erosus, and it belongs to the legume family, Fabaceae.
- The plant produces a large underground storage root while growing as a vigorous climbing vine.
- Although the root is commonly eaten, the seeds are not suitable for consumption.
