Oxalis tuberosa

Oca is a perennial plant in the oxalis, or wood-sorrel family, that overwinters as underground stem tubers. These tubers have many names, including Oca, Uqa, and New Zealand yam and are one of the so-called ‘lost crops of the Incas’. The plant has been a staple crop in the central Andes for centuries, growing at high elevations in Peru, Bolivia, Venezuela, and Argentina found as high as 12,000 feet above sea level. In addition to the tubers, the leaves and stems are also edible, often having a tangy, citrusy flavor similar to rhubarb. There are many varieties of Oca in cultivation today and the flavors and textures vary from tangy to bland, and starchy, crunchy, or mealy. Oca is a highly nutritious crop that has good yields and provides some ornamental value in the garden. Growing as a groundcover, Oca plants never reach more than a foot in height and prefer to spread and trail. The leaves are photo sensitive and will often close up at night. Cold hardy to USDA zone 7b and above, or to 5 degrees Fahrenheit.

What’s like a potato but more attractive, nutritious & resistant to disease? Oca! A NON-INVASIVE Oxalis species that has been cultivated as a food crop in the Andes for centuries! Tubers come in a rainbow of colors (red, white, purple & yellow) & differ in flavor & texture. Some describe the flavor as potato-esque, but nuttier & tangy. Oca can be eaten raw, roasted, baked, boiled or fried. Your call! Plants are green & leafy with typical Oxalis foliage & flowers, growing to about 2’ high & spreading over time. Grows best with a long growing season, so areas with hard early frosts in Fall may not be able to get good yields. Harvest a couple of weeks after the foliage is frozen to the ground, usually in November or December.