Promising Plants Profiles

Manihot esculenta

Genus: Manihot
Specific Epithet: esculenta
Common Names: cassava, yuca, manioc, tapioca
Family: Euphorbiaceae

Flower Color: white to greenish-white
Form: shrub or tree
Hardiness Zone: 8-10
Height: 10-15'
Soil: heavily mulched, loamy soil
Sun: full sun or high shade

Uses: culinary (see cautions below), medicinal (limited), economic, ornamental
Parts Used: root, leaves, stems

"Cassava is a small shrub or tree that produces swollen tubers off the roots. All parts of the plant contain cyanogenic glucosides, but roots are safe to eat after either prolonged boiling or after grating and slow drying.* The tubers may be boiled and eaten like potatoes or grated to yield the crude tapioca or cassava starch which can be dried and pounded into cakes. This remarkable plant ranks fourth in the world’s agriculture, behind rice, sugar and corn and grows throughout the tropical world, thus acquiring many common names. It likely originated in Brazil.

While cassava is grown for both animal and human consumption for its protein content**, it is also a major source of commercial starches. Cassava starch is utilized in prepared foods, soft drinks, high fructose syrup, alcohol, textiles, adhesives, paper manufacturing and in the pharmaceutical industry. The tubers are used in many types of dishes in Central and South America, Africa, and China.

The plant is also used medicinally. According to James Duke's Isthmian Ethnobotanical Dictionary, in Panama, latex from the stem is used in conjunctivitis; "stewed and pulped leaves are applied to tumors"; and "a spoonful of yuca flour in half glass of water is Costa Rica's prescription for the turistas." While folklore abounds for uses of cassava to alleviate pain, and foster human comfort, valid medicinal usages are not well documented.

Cassava is easily grown in frost free areas and is hardy in Zone 8. It makes a fine container plant and can be grown in the greenhouse. Propagation is by root or stem cuttings." – Madalene Hill, Promising Plants Presentation, 2005

* Leaves also contain toxic cyanogenic glucosides which can be reduced with cooking.
** The leaves are high in protein, but the roots have low protein content.

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