Oca - Oxalis tuberosa - €12 per plant 

This exciting plant is justifiably gaining in popularity. Nicknamed "South American wood sorrel" it is a cousin of the common wood sorrel and has a similar look to the plant.  Cultivated in the Andes for years, many people in the UK and North America have reported good success rates when growing Oca.  This is likely due to the plant's ability to tolerate poor soil and cope with climatic changes.  This is great news, as the tubers are an excellent source of nutrition, especially carbohydrates, phosphorus and iron, as well as essential amino acids. To order this plant please contact us: [email protected].  

Context

  • native region: South America, Andes
  • native habitat: Unknown in a truly wild situation, though plants have been found growing at heights up to 4000 metres in the Andes
  • family: Oxalidaceae

Predators

  • Certain types of weevils

Needs, tolerances 

  • light: Full sun
  • soil pH:  Acid, neutral -basic alkaline 
  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 6-9
  • Prefers moist soil
  • Soil requirements and cultivation practices are very similar to those of the potato.
  • Water when dry in summer  
  • Can tolerate quite high altitudes
  • Needs short days in order to form tubers. Outside the tropics, it will not begin to form tubers until approximately the autumn equinox.
  • Can tolerate light frosts,  but leaves and stems are severely damaged or killed by temperatures much below freezing. 





Known hazards 

  • The leaves contain oxalic acid, which is all right in small quantities, but the leaves should not be eaten in large amounts since oxalic acid can bind up the body's supply of calcium leading to nutritional deficiency.

Overview

  • Herbaceous perennial  growing to 0.5 m  by 0.3 m at a medium rate.​
  • In flower from July - August.
  • The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by insects
  • Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers moist, well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil.
  • Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
  • Cannot grow in the shade.
  • Prefers dry or moist soil.
  • Is known to tolerate poor soil and different climatic conditions.

Characteristics

  • form: Herbaceous perennial 
  • layer : Hern layer
  • habit: Multi-stemmed, tuberous root system. 
  • height x width (m): 0.5 x 0.3
  • years to bearing yield: 1 year  
  • productive life span: Indefinite 

Products 

  • Tubers:  Oca is extensively cultivated in the central and southern Andes for its edible root.  It is also commercially grown in New Zealand and it continues to gain in popularity. Tubers can be harvested at the end of the growing season and are one of the highest vegetable sources of carbohydrate and energy. They can be eaten raw or cooked.
  • The nutrition-packed, health-promoting tuber also includes a range of nutrients such as vitamin C, iron, zinc, flavonoids, B vitamins, and fibre.

Functions, behaviours

  • Tuberous growth spread rapidly 
  • Perennial herbaceous plant that overwinters as underground stem tubers.
  • Plants may not flower in northern Europe. They are sensitive to day-length hours, requiring longer periods of light from seedling to maturation of plant, and shorter periods for tuber formation.
If you would like this plant please send an email to [email protected] with your order. 
Balkan Ecology Project