Tropaeolum tuberosum

Mashua, or Tuberous Nasturtium, is a species of nasturtium native to the high altitudes of the Andes, particularly in Peru and Bolivia. One of the ‘lost crops of the Incas’, Mashua has been cultivated as a food crop by the Amerindians for as long as 8,000 years. Similar to common garden nasturtium, all parts of the plant are edible raw or cooked and have a light, spicy flavor. An attractive and fast growing plant, Mashua grows as a twining vine that can be trained up a trellis or as a sprawling groundcover. Growing best in temperature climates, Mashua prefers cool weather and detests extreme heat or cold. While the plants die back during the winter, they easily regrow from the underground tubers come spring. Cold hardy to USDA zone 8b and above, or to 15 degrees Fahrenheit.