Coleus edulis
Vatke.
Gala Dinich
GBIF
MBG
MBG
What to Eat
Edible parts: Root
Root - cooked. We have no further details.
Where to Find It
N. Africa - Ethiopia.
AFRICA: Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda
How to Identify
Coleus edulis is a PERENNIAL. It is frost tender. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs). Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
How to Grow
We have no information on this plant and do not know if it would be feasible to grow it outdoors in Britain, it is almost certainly not winter hardy. As an experiment it could be worthwhile growing it in much the same way as potatoes are grown, planting out the tubers in April and harvesting them in the autumn. Give the plants a warm very sunny position in a well-drained soil. This species is cultivated for its edible tuber in Ethiopia.
Propagation: Seed - surface sow in a greenhouse in late winter and seal the pot in a plastic bag until germination takes place - this is usually within 2 weeks at 20°c. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow on the plants in a greenhouse for their first year. Store the tubers in a cool frost-free place and plant them out into their permanent positions in the spring, after the last expected frosts. Division. Harvest the tubers in the autumn after the top growth has been cut back by frost, store them in a cool but frost-free place over winter and plant them out in spring.
