🥕 Jicama
Pachyrhizus erosus
vegetables perennial vine (grown as annual for tuber)
☀️ Sun
full sun
💧 Water
moderate, consistent
🗺️ Zones
9, 12 (needs 5, 9 months frost, free)
🪴 Soil Type
well-draining, sandy loam
🧪 Soil pH
6.0-7.0
💧 Drainage
Well-drained
📏 Spacing
8-12 in. apart, 24-36 in. between rows (vine; trellis or let trail)
📅 Days to Maturity
150-180 days (from seed); tubers need long warm season to develop
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Raw in salads and slaws🍽️ crudit\u00e9s with chili-lime🍽️ stir-fries🍽️ pickled"]
🤝 Companions (5)
🤝 corn
Corn stalks provide sturdy trellising for jicama's climbing vines; jicama is a nitrogen-fixing legume that enriches soil for corn.
🤝 sunflowers
Sunflowers serve as living trellises for jicama vines; jicama fixes nitrogen to support sunflowers' tall, heavy-feeding growth.
Amaranth's tall stalks support jicama's twining vines; jicama fixes nitrogen that feeds amaranth's vigorous leaf and seed production.
🤝 beans
Jicama and beans are both nitrogen-fixing legumes with complementary growth habits — jicama climbs while beans bush out, making efficient use of vertical and horizontal space.
🤝 squash
Squash spreads as groundcover suppressing weeds around jicama, while jicama climbs trellises above — both benefit from jicama's nitrogen fixation.
⚠️ Keep Apart (0)
No antagonistic relationships recorded yet.
💊 Medicinal Uses
Contains inulin (prebiotic fiber) that supports gut microbiome health. Rich in vitamin C and potassium. Traditional remedy for digestive health, heat stroke, and as a diuretic. Seeds contain rotenone (used traditionally as fish poison and insecticide) — seeds are TOXIC and should not be eaten. Root is safe and nutritious.
📝 Notes
Legume family nitrogen fixer. Grown for crisp, sweet tuberous root. Flowers must be removed to encourage root development. Vines need support. Note: seeds, leaves, and pods are toxic—only the root is edible.