Mashua Tubers – Tropaeolum tuberosum (Anu)

Description

Edible Andean Tuber | Beautiful Climber | Nutritious & Traditional

4 Tubers or tuber/roots. Available June until sold out

Add a rare, productive, and delicious perennial to your garden with Mashua tubers. Also known as Anu, this vigorous climbing plant from the Andes produces abundant, colourful tubers with a unique peppery-anise flavour.

The plant features attractive, rounded nasturtium-like leaves and bright edible flowers in shades of orange, red, and yellow that bloom profusely from summer into autumn. Perfect for vertical gardening, food forests, or as a ground-covering edible in cooler climates.

Mashua is highly productive, easy to grow, and brings both culinary excitement and traditional herbal benefits to your space.

Traditional & Medicinal Uses

Mashua has been cultivated for thousands of years in the Andes and holds a special place in traditional medicine:

• Urinary & Kidney Health: Often used as a diuretic infusion for urinary tract issues, kidney support, and bladder health.
• Prostate Support: Traditionally valued for reducing prostate inflammation in men.
• Anti-inflammatory & Pain Relief: Tubers and extracts show analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties; used topically or internally for swelling and discomfort.
• Antioxidant & Antimicrobial: Rich in glucosinolates and isothiocyanates with antibacterial, antioxidant, and potential immune-supporting qualities.
• Other Traditional Uses: Support for skin conditions, wounds, respiratory issues, and general vitality. In Andean culture, it was sometimes noted for its anaphrodisiac properties (reducing libido), which made it part of certain warrior diets.

Culinary Highlights: High in vitamin C, moderate protein, fibre, and minerals. Tubers can be eaten raw (mild radish-like spice), roasted, boiled, fried, mashed, pickled, or added to soups and stews. They develop a sweeter, aromatic anise-like flavour when cooked. Leaves and flowers are also edible in salads.

Note: Consult a healthcare professional before using for medicinal purposes.

Why Grow Mashua?

• Highly productive — one plant can yield many kilograms of tubers
• Beautiful edible flowers and foliage for pollinators
• Climbs trellises or spreads as ground cover
• Frost-tolerant foliage (tubers more sensitive)
• Pest and disease resistant in suitable climates
• Perennial — save and replant your own tubers year after year

Ideal for New Zealand: Thrives in cooler, moist conditions like we have. Prefers temperatures below 27°C in summer.

How to Grow Mashua Tubers

Planting:

• Plant in spring after the last frost risk.
• Place tubers 5–10 cm (2–4 inches) deep, horizontally.
• Space plants 30–45 cm (12–18 inches) apart.
• Provide a trellis, fence, or let them trail (they can spread 1–3+ metres).

Soil & Care:

• Well-drained, fertile soil enriched with compost. Tolerates a range of soils.
• Full sun in cool areas; afternoon shade in hotter spots.
• Keep consistently moist — mulch to retain water.
• Low maintenance but benefits from occasional feeding.

Growth & Harvest:

• Height/Spread: Climbs 1.5–3+ metres with support.
• Flowers: Summer to autumn.
• Tubers form in short days (autumn). Harvest after first light frost or when foliage dies back (typically late autumn/early winter).
• Yields improve with long, cool growing seasons.

Overwintering: In colder areas, dig and store tubers in a cool, dark, frost-free place like dahlias. In mild NZ climates, they can often stay in the ground with mulch.

Mashua is forgiving and rewarding — excellent for beginner and experienced growers alike.

Order Now – Limited seasonal stock

Ships as fresh, dormant tubers, grown with care in Clutha, New Zealand.