Cassava (Yuca)

Manihot esculenta

Euphorbiaceae (Spurge)

A tropical calorie powerhouse for the Deep South — but the roots MUST be cooked properly to be safe.

EdiblePerennialDrought-toughHeat-loverSurvival cropStaple calories

Cassava (Yuca) (Manihot esculenta) illustration — Texas Roots plant database, by Jordan Polasek

Sun

Full sun

Water

Low — very drought-tough

Soil

Loose, sandy

pH

5.5–6.5

Hardiness

Tender perennial; loves heat

Height

6–10 ft

Spacing

36 in

Days to harvest

240–300

What it is

Cassava (Yuca) (Manihot esculenta) is in the Euphorbiaceae (Spurge) family. A tropical calorie powerhouse for the Deep South — but the roots MUST be cooked properly to be safe.

How to grow it

It wants full sun, water it low — very drought-tough, and give it loose, sandy soil. Target a soil pH around 5.5–6.5. Space plants about 36 in apart. Expect roughly 240–300. Tender perennial; loves heat.

How it's used

Cassava (Yuca) is used: boiled, fried, flour (after processing).

🔎 How to identify it

Palmate hand-shaped leaves
Woody cane-like stems
Large starchy roots

Edibility

PartsRoots (always cooked)

UsesBoiled, fried, flour (after processing)

CautionRaw cassava is toxic (cyanogenic) — peel and cook thoroughly. Bitter types need extra processing.

🌤 Before you plant: check the live 7-day garden weather to time it right for frost and heat.

Part of the free Texas Roots plant database, compiled by Jordan Polasek from his greenhouse in El Campo, Texas. Free to read and share. If it helped, the best thanks is to grow something.