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Arracacia xanthorrhiza
Apiaceae FAMILY

Arracacia xanthorrhiza

Arracacia xanthorrhiza

Edibility
4/5
Medicinal
0/5

Safety & Hazards

None known

Cultivation Details

HabitPerennial
Growth—

Cultivation of Arracacha usually takes place at higher elevation of 1,800 - 3,500 metres in the Tropics, though it can also be grown at lower elevations down to 600 metres[1, 2]. It can be grown as a half-hardy perennial in the warmer regions of the Temperate zone, the roots being harvested in the autumn, stored overwinter in a cool frost-free place and then planted out in the spring[3]. Attempts in the 19th century to cultivate it as a commercial crop in Europe, however, were unsuccessful[4]. It grows best in areas where annual daytime temperatures are within the range 14 - 21°c, but can tolerate 10 - 28°c[2]. It prefers a mean annual rainfall in the range 800 - 1,200mm, but tolerates 600 - 1,800mm[2]. Requires a sunny position[2]. Prefers a good loam. Grows best in a well-drained sandy loam with a pH in the range of 5 to 6[5, 1]. Prefers a pH in the range 5 - 6, tolerating 4.5 - 6.5. Plants take about 120 - 240 days from planting to produce a first crop and 300 - 400 days to produce a crop of mature tubers[5]. At harvest time there can be as many as 10 tubers each the size of a carrot formed around the central root[5]. One plant can yield 2 - 3 kg of edible roots, total yields of 40 tonnes per hectare are possible[5]. Preventing the plant from flowering can increase yields[5]. Plants might be sensitive to daylength, possibly requiring short days to initiate tuber production, and so may not be suitable for temperate climates[5, 1]. They also have a longer growing season than potatoes and are frost-tender so need a relatively long growing season[5]. Plants do not always produce viable seed in S. America[5].

Propagation

Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse and only just cover the seed. Do not allow the compost to dry out. Germination is often poor, less than 50%[5]. Since this species is believed to be a hybrid it will probably not breed true from seed. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on for the first year in a greenhouse and plant out in late spring after the last expected frosts. Division. Harvest the roots in the autumn, store overwinter and plant out in the spring. The plant forms a clump of tubers around a central root, each tuber can be used to grow a new plant. Traditionally the base of the tuber is repeatedly slashed to stimulate shoots to form and encourage a uniform arrangement of lateral roots. They are then left for a few days to heal before planting them out[5]. Cite as: Temperate Plants Database, Ken Fern. temperate.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <temperate.theferns.info/plant/Arracacia+xanthorrhiza>

Pollinators

Insects

References

  1. [1]Vegetables in the Tropics — Tindall. H. D. · MacMillan, Oxford. · 1983 · ISBN 0-333-24268-8 ↩︎An excellent, in-depth look at the main vegetable crops that can be grown in the Tropics, plus many less well-known plants.
  2. [2]Ecocrop — http://ecocrop.fao.org/ecocrop/srv/en/home ↩︎Basic information on a wide range of useful plants, plus details of environmental needs where available.
  3. [3]RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 — F. Chittendon. · Oxford University Press · 1951 · ISBN - ↩︎Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaced in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [ 200 ]).
  4. [4]Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. — Hedrick. U. P. · Dover Publications · 1972 · ISBN 0-486-20459-6 ↩︎Lots of entries, quite a lot of information in most entries and references.
  5. [5]Lost Crops of the Incas — Popenoe. H. et al · National Academy Press · 1990 · ISBN 0-309-04264-X ↩︎An excellent book. Very readable, with lots of information and good pictures of some lesser known food plants of S. America.
  6. [6]Dictionary of Economic Plants. — Uphof. J. C. Th. · Weinheim · 1959 · ISBN - ↩︎An excellent and very comprehensive guide but it only gives very short descriptions of the uses without any details of how to utilize the plants. Not for the casual reader.
  7. [7]A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. — Usher. G. · Constable · 1974 · ISBN 0094579202 ↩︎Forget the sexist title, this is one of the best books on the subject. Lists a very extensive range of useful plants from around the world with very brief details of the uses. Not for the casual reader.
  8. [8]Plants for Human Consumption. — Kunkel. G. · Koeltz Scientific Books · 1984 · ISBN 3874292169 ↩︎An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
  9. [9]Alternative Foods. — Sholto-Douglas. J. ↩︎Not very comprehensive, it seems more or less like a copy of earlier writings with little added.
  10. [10]The Ethno-Botany of Pre-Columbian Peru. — Towle. M. A. · Aldine Publishing Co. Chicago. · 1961 ↩︎A very interesting book covering quite a lot of information on plant uses in S. America although many of the plants are not suitable for temperate areas.
  11. [11]Economic Botany. — Hill. A. F. · The Maple Press · 1952 · ISBN - ↩︎Not very comprehensive, but it is quite readable and goes into some detail about the plants it does cover.
  12. [12]Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications · 1990 · ISBN 0-9628087-0-9 ↩︎Excellent. Contains a very wide range of conventional and unconventional food plants (including tropical) and where they can be obtained (mainly N. American nurseries but also research institutes and a lot of other nurseries from around the world.
  13. [13]Cornucopia II — Facciola. S. · Kampong Publications, California. · 1998 · ISBN 0-9628087-2-5 ↩︎The second edition of an excellent guide to the edible uses of plants, though it does not give any details of cultivation etc.