Spanish Name
Camote
Scientific Name
Ipomoea batatas
Category
Vegetables
Perennial/Annual
Annual
Edible parts
LeavesTuber
Growth Type
VineTuberGroundcover
Usage
CulinaryNutritionalTuberAnimal Forage
Life Cycle
Placenta 1
Origin
Central America
Strata Category
Low
How to eat
Eat raw or any way you would cook potatoes, including steamed, simmered, mashed, boiled, fried or baked.
Nutritional Info
High in beta-carotene, vitamin A, C, fiber, complex carbs
Medicinal Uses
Blood sugar regulation, gut health, antioxidant
Planting Distance
30–50 cm apart in rows 1 meter apart. In syntropic systems, can be planted densely between young trees or in open areas to cover bare soil.
Harvest Time
90–150 days after planting, depending on variety and growing conditions. Can be harvested progressively or all at once. In Costa Rica, planted at the beginning of the rainy season (May–July) and harvested in the late rainy to dry season (September–December)