Jicama

Pachyrhizus erosus

vegetable

Jicama, also called yam bean, is a tropical vining legume grown for one thing: its large, round, tan-skinned storage root. Peeled, the white flesh is crisp, juicy, and lightly sweet - eaten raw like an apple, cut into sticks for dipping, or tossed into slaws and salads, and it stays crunchy even when cooked. The catch is that ONLY the root is edible. The vines, pods, seeds, and leaves all contain rotenone, a natural insecticide that is poisonous to people and animals, so everything above ground must be discarded. The plant is a vigorous twining vine that can run 20 feet and needs a long, hot growing season - five to nine months without frost - to size up a good root.

✅ Plant alongside

Good neighbors that attract beneficial insects or deter pests

• Corn — Tall stalks share the long, hot season and can support the twining vines
• French Marigold — Helps suppress root-knot nematodes around the developing root

🛡️ Pest & disease prevention

Proactive ways to stop trouble before it starts — tap a name with an arrow for its full guide

• Aphids →

  Rinse colonies from new growth and encourage ladybugs

• Spider mites →

  Rinse foliage in hot, dry spells and avoid drought stress

• Whiteflies →

  Watch leaf undersides, use yellow sticky traps, and treat hot spots with insecticidal soap

🌾 Harvest & storage

Jicama roots are ready to dig roughly 5 to 9 months from seed (sooner and smaller from started roots), before the first frost. Lift the tubers carefully, brush off the soil, and store them in a cool, dry place, where they keep for weeks to a couple of months - do not refrigerate, as cold turns the flesh off. Peel away the fibrous brown skin and the layer just beneath it before eating the crisp white flesh raw or cooked. Discard all vines, pods, and seeds - they are poisonous and must never be eaten.

🥗 Nutrition & benefits

Jicama is light and refreshing at about 38 calories per 100 g, with a high water content, a good amount of fiber (much of it the prebiotic inulin), and a strong dose of vitamin C, plus some potassium. Naturally low in calories and sugar, the crisp root is eaten raw in sticks and slaws (a squeeze of lime and chili is classic) or added to stir-fries, where it keeps its crunch.

⚠️ Toxicity & safety

Only the peeled root tuber is edible. The seeds, seed pods, vines, and mature leaves contain rotenone (a natural insecticide) and are poisonous to people and pets - never eat any above-ground part of the plant, and keep the seeds away from children. Peel off the brown skin and the fibrous layer under it before eating the root.