Cassava, Yuca (Manihot esculenta)

Manihot esculenta, also known as cassava, yuca and manioc, is a fast-growing perennial with an edible tuberous root. In common usage, the plants are usually referred to as cassava and the roots are marketed as yuca. This may vary depending on locality. The roots are the source of the starch that is processed into tapioca.

Plants quickly grow to a height of about 10-12 feet and then flop over if not topped. Trimmings can be chopped and composted, or spread as a weed-suppressing mulch between plants. Stems can reach 20 feet or more in length if allowed to sprawl.

Cassava is grown world-wide in tropical regions, but originated in Central and South America. There is archaeological evidence that it has been in cultivation for at least 4,000 years and possibly as long as 9,000 years.
The leaves are palmate, about 8-10 inches across, and deeply lobed. Some cultivars have red petioles, making a nice contrast to the dark green leaves.

Older stems have a distinctive prominent stub where each leaf was attached.

Plants put in the ground in spring grow throughout the summer and flower in autumn. The cream-colored flowers appear in clusters at the ends of the branches, but they are small, and go almost unnoticed amid the foliage. Only close inspection reveals their beauty.

After about 9-10 months of growth the yuca roots are large enough to harvest. Roots that are 3-4 inches in diameter and 10-15 inches long are a harvestable size. Production volume doubles if harvest is put off until after the second vegetative cycle, but the roots are supposedly not as tender.
When grown commercially, the entire plant is dug, roots are harvested, and a new crop is planted the following spring or at the start of the rainy season. If you only have one or two plants, it's possible to dig around the base of the plant, harvest the mature roots, and leave the plant to produce another year. I've been doing that for years on the plant pictured below.

The one root at the top of this grouping weighed over 6 pounds. I'd only dug out half of the root system when this photo was taken, so you see they can be quite productive.

Yuca roots are prepared by peeling, then cooking in the same manner as potatoes; boil, bake, roast, or fry them. They must be cooked before eating due to cyanic compounds present in the raw roots. The heat from cooking renders these compounds inert. Some cultivars with very low levels of cyanide can be eaten raw, but you'd have to be certain you had that cultivar and bitterness is not necessarily an indication of cyanide levels.

The grated root is used for cassava bread, and young leaves are also edible after cooking. To prepare the leaves, remove the petioles, then finely chop, grind or pound the leaves. Cook them as greens, seasoned to your own liking, or add to soups and stews. I like to puree the leaves in the blender, cook and season them, and serve over rice or pasta. There are lots of recipes available online. 

**Cassava leaf must be cooked thoroughly before eating! Cassava leaf is a good source of vitamin A, C, B vitamins, iron, calcium, zinc, manganese and magnesium.

There is a variegated form of cassava that is primarily grown as an ornamental. It doesn't produce the large roots of the commercial varieties, but makes a showy addition to any landscape.

To start a new crop, mature cassava stems are cut into sections and laid horizontal in a shallow trench, then covered with soil. Alternately, the may be simply poked straight down into the dirt, with a few nodes visible above the soil line. In commercial plantings they are spaced about 4 feet on center. The cuttings produce an abundance of roots and quickly start growing. I have cassava plants and cuttings for sale -- click the link at the bottom of this post.

Cassava tolerates a wide range of soils and environmental conditions, making it an ideal crop for impoverished soils and drought-prone regions. In some parts of the world, cassava is grown as livestock feed or as a biofuel.
Manihot esculenta is recommended for USDA Zones 8-11. It can be grown in colder climates as an annual ornamental, but the growing season won't be long enough to produce a good crop of roots.
Buy cassava cuttings.

Vachellia farnesiana (Sweet Acacia)

The flowers of Vachellia farnesiana have a fragrance similar to grape candy, which is probably where it gets the common name Sweet Acacia (this species was previously in the Acacia genus). The flowers may appear at any time during the year, but are more numerous during the cooler months. The inflorescence is a fuzzy yellow ball of multiple flowers about 1/2 inch in diameter.

Pollinated flowers develop into 2- to 3-inch long, lumpy green pods that turn black when mature. Seed germination is improved by scarification and soaking.

The bipinnately compound leaves have a delicate fern-like appearance, but the entire plant is covered with sharp thorns.

This species grows into an open-branched tree or shrub about 15-20 feet tall. The foliage is semi-evergreen and is often retained on the plant during warm winters.
Vachellia farnesiana is believed to be native to tropical America, but it is now found growing all around the world.
It is a nitrogen-fixing plant, capable of utilizing atmospheric nitrogen as a nutrient source, and is very drought-tolerant once established.. Growth and flowering is best in full sun. It is recommended for USDA Zones 8-11 and is tolerant of acidic, alkaline and salty soils.

The leaves, roots and bark are used in folk medicine to treat a variety of ailments and an essential oil distilled from the flowers is used in the perfume industry.

Aechmea blanchetiana

Aechmea blanchetiana (eek-MEE-uh blan-ket-ee-AY-nuh) is one of the largest of the commonly grown Aechmeas. Its size makes a big impact in any landscape or bromeliad garden. Mature plants often have a spread of 5 feet or more and the flower spike may reach 6 feet in height. The inflorescence emerges in early summer and is a colorful blend of red, orange and yellow. It is long-lasting and keeps good color for months on end. The actual flowers are small, yellow and tubular.

The foliage color varies with the amount of sun the plant receives and may range from light green to yellow, orange or reddish, depending on the clonal variety. The best color is usually obtained in full sun.

Frost or a hard freeze can be damaging to the large leaves so it's best grown in sheltered locations or covered up on the coldest nights.

Aristolochia elegans

The flowers of Aristolochia elegans are the most stunning aspect of this plant, but it also has many other interesting features. The plant is a vine that climbs by twining around any available support, reaching a height of 10 to 15 feet.
The leaves are broad and somewhat heart-shaped, approximately 3 inches across, but the size varies greatly. Where the petiole joins the stem, there is a distinctive small leaf-like appendage.

The foliage is a favored food of polydamas swallowtail butterfly larvae. Some sources claim it is toxic to pipevine swallowtails, but others claim it is not. The evidence appears mostly anecdotal and I am unable to find any scientific research to confirm either way.

This species is also sometimes known as Dutchman's pipe, calico flower, and pipe vine. The name pipe vine arises from the appearance of the flower buds. With a little imagination you can visualize the similarity to an old-fashioned Dutch tobacco pipe.

Flowering occurs during summer and fall when the plant is actively growing. Individual flowers are 3-4 inches long.
Pollinated flowers develop a cylindrical seed pod that splits open when mature, becoming an unusual basket holding the seeds that are then scattered as the basket blows in the wind.

The seeds can be quite prolific and this species is considered potentially invasive in Florida. In the garden it can be easily controlled by snipping off the green seed pods before they mature.
Aristolochia elegans is synonymous with A. littoralis and is native to South America. It is recommended for USDA Zones 8-10, being evergreen in the more tropical climes and perennial in Zone 8. They perform best in part sun, part shade.

Portea alatisepala

Portea alatisepala provides long-lasting color through the late summer and fall months. Plants grow fairly large, with a leaf spread of 4-5 feet and an overall height of 2-3 feet.

Individual leaves can be up to 2 1/2 feet long and 2 inches wide with a serrate edge.
Foliage color ranges from olive to purplish-green.

The flower spike is erect or slightly leaning, and extends above the foliage. The inflorescence is hot pink and the flower petals are vivid blue.

When flowering is finished, the fruits of pollinated flowers swell up and continue to provide good color in the landscape for several more weeks.

Portea alatisepala performs well in shade or filtered sun. Plants tolerate temperatures as low as 26°F if grown under tree canopy where frost won't damage the leaves.
There are color forms with plain green or reddish-tinted leaves and pink or lavender-purple sepals.

Also see:
Portea petropolitana
Portea kermesina

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora (blue ginger)

Although Dichorisandra thyrsiflora is commonly referred to as blue ginger, it is not a ginger and is actually more closely related to our native spiderwort. The growth habit of the plant certainly resembles many of the costus gingers, but a careful examination of the flowers reveals a likeness to its relatives in the Commelinaceae family.
The erect canes grow new from soil level each spring, eventually reaching a height of 3-4 feet in sunny areas and up to 6 feet in shady locations. From late summer through mid-fall, these fresh canes are topped with clusters of brilliant blue 3-petaled flowers. Canes from the previous year's growth may branch from the nodes and support multiple flower spikes.

The plant grows in full shade to mostly sun, but the foliage looks best where it gets at least some protection from the intense summer sun. They thrive in moist environments, but once established, they are very drought tolerant and able to survive extended periods without rain.

They multiply slowly so it takes a long time to establish a clump, unless you take stem cuttings. Roots and a new plant are able to form at each node along the stem. On their own, the plants spread by an underground rhizome. Rhizomes are thick and clearly segmented between canes. In addition, there are golf-ball sized storage roots growing deeper in the soil than the rhizomes.

Dichorisandra thyrsiflora is native to tropical parts of America, especially Brazil. It is recommended for USDA Zones 9-11, but reportedly survives Zone 8 conditions as a true perennial, dying back each winter and resuming growth in the spring.

Syzygium smithii (Lilly Pilly)

Syzygium smithii, also known as lilly pilly, is a multi-purpose tree with attractive foliage, showy flowers and edible fruit. New leafy growth is copper-colored...

and matures to lush, dark green.

The tree has a strongly upright growth habit, but can be maintained as a hedge if regularly pruned.

The trunk has reddish-tan, finely-grained bark. The reddish tint intensifies after a rain.

Flowering occurs in late spring to early summer. Blooms are pale, cream-colored puffballs that appear in clusters at the tips of the branches. Individual flowers are about 2-3 inches across.

The pink fruits ripen in mid to late summer. They are crunchy and watery, without much flavor, and slightly astringent. They can be made into jelly. Each marble-sized fruit contains a single large seed.

Syzygium smithii is native to Australia, where a wide variety of birds and mammals feed on the fruit. The tree reportedly can reach 60 feet or more with age and the mature wood is used for flooring, framing and wood-turning. Ornamental plantings can be pruned to shape and size. It grows in sun or shade, but best fruit production will be in sunnier locations.
Most references list this plant for USDA Zones 9-ll, with some claiming it does fine in 8B.
There are several cultivated varieties selected for plant size or leaf color.

Hedychium coccineum

Hedychium coccineum is one of the showiest species of ginger. Peak bloom occurs in early to mid-summer on the current year's growth, but a few blooms may appear in the late summer to fall months on late-emerging canes.

Each cane grows erect to a height of 6-7 feet and is topped by a spiky inflorescence. Each individual "spike" on the inflorescence produces several orange-red flowers, opening over a period of a few days. They are only faintly fragrant, but they do attract hummingbirds.

Even after the blossoms fade away, the inflorescence maintains a strong architectural appearance.

The canes are thick and sturdy, with a purplish-gray coloration when they first emerge.

Leaves are two-ranked and about a foot in length.

Hedychium coccineum is also known as orange gingerlily, scarlet gingerlily, and orange bottlebrush ginger. In addition, there are several named cultivars and hybrids that are commercially available. It is native to the eastern Himalayan region in Asia and grows in full sun to part shade. It is recommended for USDA Zones 7-10, being evergreen at the warm end of the range and grown as a deciduous perennial in colder zones.

In South Africa it's considered an invasive species due to its rapid spread by seed.

Aechmea 'Burgundy'

Aechmea 'Burgundy' is a colorful bromeliad variety that thrives in sun or shade. The olive to burgundy-colored leaves are darker on the underside with a somewhat spiny edge.

Plants multiply rapidly, forming a thick mass of colorful foliage.

In spring the plants send up a maroon and white spike with blue flowers. The spike may be vertical are arching, depending on the length of the scape.

The colorful fruits at the base of the flower remain for 2 to 3 months, gradually turning a shade of rosy-pink.

Plants grow about 2 feet tall and wide. In tropical and sub-tropical climates, the intense summer sun may bleach out the leaf color somewhat, until they become more uniformly olive-green.

Plants are cold-hardy to at least 26°F and will show no damage as long as frost doesn't actually settle on the leaves.

Buy Aechmea 'Burgundy'