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Sign up freeTropaeolum tuberosum
Mashua (Tropaeolum tuberosum) is a herbaceous perennial climber native to the Andes, particularly Peru and Bolivia, grown for its edible tubers eaten cooked or roasted as a vegetable. It grows 2–4 metres in height and is related to garden nasturtiums, occasionally cultivated as an ornamental for its brightly coloured tubular flowers. The plant has extraordinary natural resistance to insects, nematodes, and bacterial pests due to high levels of isothiocyanates, making it valuable for pest management.
🐛 Prone to: Aphids.
Attract Hoverflies, Lacewings, Ladybirds, Parasitic wasps to keep them in check — plant African MarigoldGreat, AngelicaGood and AniseGood nearby.
Thrives in the same full sun, moderate water conditions as Mashua
Water: Medium · Height: 300 cm · Soil: Thrives in marginal soils; well-adapted to high-altitude subsistence agriculture