Fockea edulis
A drought-tolerant caudiciform vine from southern Africa with a large underground tuber and long climbing stems, bearing edible tubers and small greenish flowers on dioecious plants, and thriving in well-drained substrate with a dry winter.
Common Names
Hottentot Bread
Summary
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Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
2-2.5 feet
Spread
31.5-36 inches
Hardiness Zones
Zones 9b-11b
Sunlight Requirements
Ideally full sun, partial sun, or partial shade.
Soil Type
Well-draining gritty mineral soil with very fast drainage (sandy or rocky), avoid waterlogging
Soil Drainage
Well-drained, fast-draining, gritty, sandy, mineral-based soil that drains quickly and avoids waterlogging, such as a cactus/succulent mix or free-draining substrate with pumice, perlite, gravel, or coarse sand; amend regular soil with up to 50% sand or pumice; use a pot with drainage holes
Bloom Color
Whitish-green
Bloom Time
Summer
Foliage Color
Green
Fall Foliage Color
None; deciduous, leaves drop during winter dormancy.
Leaf Lifecycle
Deciduous
Growth Rate
Vigorous and fast-growing, especially when buried in compost, reaching 10 feet or more per season, with growth slowing January–April.
Seasons of Interest
Spring, Summer, Winter
Propagation Methods
Seeds and Cuttings (seeds best; primary propagation method; cuttings limited success; stem cuttings)
Attracts Wildlife
Pollinators: fruit flies
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- (Thunb.) K.Schum.
- Publication
- Nat. Pflanzenfam. 4(2): 296 (1895)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Gentianales
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Genus
- Fockea
Synonyms
Pergularia edulis Brachystelma macrorrhizum Chymocormus edulis Fockea glabra Echites edulis Fockea cylindrica