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Plectranthus esculentus
Also called Kaffir potato, Livingstone Potato, African Potato, Madagascar Potato, Country Potato
Coleus esculentus is an African perennial herb in the mint family, grown mainly for its edible underground tubers, which are eaten like potatoes. It is a species, grown as a food crop rather than a houseplant, and it does best in places with a history of cultivation such as southern Africa.
Coleus esculentus, synonym Plectranthus esculentus, also known as the kaffir potato or Livingstone potato, is a species of plant in the mint family Lamiaceae. It is indigenous to Africa, where it is grown for its edible tubers. It is more difficult to cultivate than Coleus rotundifolius, but able to give greater yields. Although the crop is similar to a potato, it is from the mint family, but it is still quite nutritious and useful. This crop can benefit many subsistence farmers since it is native, easy to grow, enjoying growing popularity in the market, and quite nutritious.
The tubers are the most useful part of Coleus esculentus for humans. These tubers are nutritious and easy to grow and are becoming easier to sell. The tubers can remain viable underground even when the plant is not able to produce leaves. Coleus esculentus can adapt well to various environmental conditions but does best in local environmental conditions where there has been a history of cultivation, such as Southern Africa. People who are trained in a community are able to manage the production of C. esculentus with little additional help.
The tubers have been planted in small plots of 10 by 10 m. In these small plots they were planted between young eucalyptus trees, using a mixed cropping system that had vegetables like amaranthus and cucurbits. They have also been intercropped with maize but that proved to be unsuccessful. Yields were lower when intercropped with maize.
Common Thicket Spurflower · Hullworts · Coleus amboinicus · Coleus argentatus · Coleus barbatus · Coleus maculosus subsp. edulis · Coleus rotundifolius · Coleus scutellarioides · Hullworts
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Coleus esculentus by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
