NZ Yams (Oca) Tubers – Oxalis tuberosa

NZ Yams (Oca) Tubers – Oxalis tuberosa

$10.00

Colourful Andean Tuber | Sweet-Tart Flavour | Productive Perennial

You will receive 15 yams ready to plant.

Grow Your Own Delicious New Zealand Yams

Add a colourful and productive traditional crop to your garden with NZ Yams, also known as Oca. This easy-to-grow perennial produces attractive clover-like foliage and bright edible tubers in shades of pink, red, orange, and yellow.

The tubers have a crisp texture when raw and develop a unique sweet-tart flavour (reminiscent of potato with citrus or rhubarb notes) when cooked. Oca is a staple in New Zealand home gardens and farmers’ markets — perfect for vegetable beds, food forests, and containers.

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Description

Culinary & Traditional Uses

  • Culinary: Best roasted, boiled, baked, or fried. The flavour sweetens after a few weeks of storage or exposure to sunlight (a traditional practice). Use in soups, stews, roasts, salads, or as a colourful side dish. Leaves and flowers are also edible in moderation.
  • Nutritional: Good source of vitamin C, fibre, and antioxidants. Low in calories and naturally gluten-free.
  • Traditional Uses: Cultivated for thousands of years in the Andes. Valued for food security, digestive health, and as a refreshing, hydrating vegetable. In New Zealand, it has become a popular heritage crop for its reliability and vibrant tubers.

Note: A nutritious everyday food tuber. Consume leaves in moderation due to oxalic acid content. Consult a healthcare provider for any specific medicinal applications.

Why Grow NZ Yams (Oca)?

  • Beautiful, multi-coloured tubers — a feast for the eyes and plate
  • Highly productive — one plant can yield 1–3+ kg of tubers
  • Perennial — save and replant your own tubers each year
  • Relatively pest and disease resistant
  • Thrives in cooler New Zealand climates
  • Excellent for permaculture and low-maintenance growing
  • Great companion plant in the vegetable garden

Ideal for New Zealand: Performs exceptionally well in Canterbury and other temperate regions with cool summers.

How to Grow NZ Yams (Oca) Tubers

Planting:

  • Plant tubers in spring after the last frost risk.
  • Place tubers 5–8 cm (2–3 inches) deep, spacing 30–45 cm (12–18 inches) apart.
  • Water well after planting.

Soil & Care:

  • Prefers fertile, well-drained soil with plenty of compost.
  • Full sun to light shade.
  • Keep soil consistently moist throughout the growing season — mulch to retain moisture.
  • Low maintenance but benefits from occasional feeding.

Growth & Harvest:

  • Height: 30–45 cm (12–18 inches)
  • Spread: Forms clumps and can trail slightly
  • Tubers form in autumn as day length shortens. Harvest after the first light frost when foliage dies back (late autumn/early winter).
  • Store tubers in a cool, dark place. They improve in sweetness over time.
  • In mild areas, tubers can be left in the ground with mulch for winter protection.

Oca is forgiving, productive, and one of the easiest perennial root crops for home gardeners.

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