Which plant is part of the pea family, looks like a carrot, tastes like a potato, can be eaten raw, and has edible beans on the vines? Bush carrots!
Native to the desert and dry shrubland of Australia, it’s a drought-resistant, multi-purpose food that is making its way into survival gardens and homesteads across the globe.
Depicted in Aboriginal artwork and highly valued by native people, this plant is steeped in tradition and rituals. It’s about time it got more recognition worldwide. Ready to learn more?
What Are Bush Carrots?
The bush carrot we are going to be exploring is not to be confused with the African plant Lavigeria macroparpa, which is part of the Lcacinaceae family, also referred to as the bush carrot.
Bush carrots (Vigna lanceolata) ar found in Australia and are especially common in the northern part of the country. There, it can be found in seasonal creek and river beds that dry out during the part of the year. It’s also common in drainage areas, lagoons, gulfs and coasts.
You’ll also see it growing in disturbed areas like roadsides, airstrips, highways, farmland, as well as bushlands, grasslands, and rainforests.
Bush carrots are tied to Aboriginal Dreaming, an important philosophical and religious concept. The native people in the region don’t cultivate this plant but rather forage for it. When they find it, they dig it out using the end of a stick.
There are many alternative names for this relatively unknown vegetable of Australian origin, such as parsnip bean, pencil yam, native bean, and maloga bean. The name bush carrot definitely suits it, given it’s from the outback and resembles a carrot.
Native people know it as wapurtali, wapirti, or wajaraki.
Despite the common name of bush carrot, it is not part of the carrot family (Apiaceae).
Bush carrots are part of the legume family (Fabaceae). It’s categorized along with many socially and economically vital plants like beans and peas, but is relatively undervalued compared to its close relatives.
You can tell it’s part of the legume family by its pea-like vibrant yellow flowers, which produce aerial pods. The leaves also resemble many plants in the legume family.
Bush carrots are amphicarpic, which means they produce two types of fruits. This bushy perennial has slender, twining white taproots that will develop underground fruits and fruits that form on the aerial vines.
The leaves can be of various sizes on the same plant and have a spear-like shape. Some subspecies have elongated leaves. The plant produces roots about 15 inches long.
Cooked up in ground fires by Aboriginal people as “bush tucker,” it’s relatively dormant in dryer environments until rain falls. That’s when it swells back up.
It can be eaten at any stage.
It’s believed to be in decline in its native regions due to the loss of Aboriginal practices and destructive fires. It can require an expert to be spotted and harvested if you want to forage for it. Luckily, you can grow it in your garden.
It is ideal for hotter desert-type locations in USDA Growing Zones 9 to 13 or temperature-controlled greenhouses elsewhere.
Propagating Bush Carrot
There are two ways to grow this desert survival food: via seed and dividing the rhizomatous roots. Think of planting seeds like peas and planting roots like yams. You can do either.
V. lanceolata has adapted to reproduce through these various methods in order to combat the extreme and unfavorable environments in which it grows as a native in Australia.
That means it can reproduce readily, but it also makes it a winning combination for those with difficult growing spots.
It is not frost-hardy and should be treated as a subtropical plant type.
The bush carrot has attributes considered superior for regions with drought issues and fluctuating weather. Its ability to withstand infertile soil and extremes in climate make it a formidable resource once it is further hybridized for global use.
Growing From Seed
It can be difficult to find bush carrot seeds because they are not yet widely cultivated. The seeds also need to be sown when they’re fresh.
As with peas and beans, the seeds are protected by slim aerial pods protect the seed as they develop. It’s these beans inside that are the seeds you need to plant.
Steam seeds for about 30 seconds to mimic their natural, hot environment. Plant the seeds three inches deep in the soil straight after steaming is completed. Direct sow in good quality sandy, free-draining soil.
Remember to put the seeds in a full-sun position. Keep the soil moist to encourage growth.
Growing From Roots
Bush carrots can be propagated from their root systems if you leave them to mature rather than harvesting them.
The rhizomatous roots allow this plant to spread and reproduce readily. Developing new plants from these roots takes time and a little patience, but it’s not difficult.
Gently dig up the plant and examine the roots. Take one root section using a pair of clippers or sever it with your digging tool.
Partly fill a glass or wide-neck jar with filtered or rainwater. Place the root across the neck of the container. Top up the water so it’s in contact with the root piece but not submerged.
Place in a sunny location, protected from the elements. Replace the water with clean water weekly. Wait for new growth of roots.
When roots are well formed, pot the plant up in a black pot to conduct heat. Make sure the growing medium has a high percentage of sand or loam. Keep in a hot, full sun location, and when foliage develops, plant out in the garden.
Prepare the ground prior to planting with good organic compost. Plant out when temperatures are nice and warm, over 65°F, and in full sun, preferably in spring or early summer.
You can also divide an existing bush carrot that has grown large.
Caring for Bush Carrots
In the past decade, there have been developments in making this survival vegetable more domesticated and suited to home growing.
Caring for bush carrots is similar to that which is required by yams. If you’ve ever grown yams, you’ll be fine. If you haven’t, you might want to brush up on it in our guide.
The plant grows best with moist soil but overly wet earth. Short periods of drought are fine, but you should add moisture once the top inch or two of soil dries out.
Bush carrots prefer sandy or loamy soils. A mix of the two is ideal. If you have sandy or clay soil, you can prepare the ground with organic compost and dig it in well. You want something that drains well but retains moisture.
The depth of the worked soil needs to exceed the root growth length of 15 inches.
The plant grows in depleted soil but might benefit from a good organic liquid fertilizer through the growing season. Apply a mild, balanced fertilizer every two months.
Be patient; these plants require time to develop. In their native range, the plants will stop growing during the dry season and take back off when the rains return. You can encourage faster growth by keeping the soil moist.
Maintain soil moisture by watering at the soil and not on the leaves.
Give them plenty of space between plants so they can spread. Around 12-18 inches is ideal.
Full sun is vital. You are trying to mimic the desert-like conditions of its native range. That means lots of sunshine.
As the vine foliage grows, support it with a trellis or stakes as you would beans or peas.
This is a relatively hardy vegetable and little maintenance is required, providing you maintain its preferred environment in terms of sun, heat, soil, and moisture.
Problems and Solutions For Growing Bush Carrots
While growing in the Australian outback, not much bothers the bush carrot. In the realms of the home garden or homestead, they may attract some unwanted attention.
Yam Mosaic Disease
Yam mosaic disease (Yam Mosaic Potyvirus) is carried by aphids. This virus shows up on the foliage, causing yellow and green fragmented patterning. It tends to start from the veins of the plant (vein banding) and grows out towards the leaf edges.
Infected plants become stunted and fail to thrive, producing small roots with a reduced starch content.
To avoid it, use only disease-free roots when propagating and keep aphids out of your garden. Our guide will explain how.
Basically, keep the planting area free of weeds, and if aphids are detected, spray with a good insecticide to prevent plants from being infected with this disease.
Sadly, there is no cure, so if your plants are infected, you’ll have to cull them. Dispose of any plants, roots, and plant debris in a hygienic manner. Don’t put it in the compost bin.
Anthracnose / Scorch
Anthracnose is a fungal disease caused by the pathogen Colletotrichum gleosporoides. It takes hold if water uptake is hindered and the plant is unable to supply enough hydration to its foliage.
Dark brown and black lesions appear on foliage and cause the plant to wilt, curl up, and, if not rectified, eventually die as photosynthesis can not be accomplished.
Once scorch reaches the stem, it’s almost impossible to reverse. Therefore, proper watering regimes are a preventative to this disease.
Should a plant start to wilt and die, it must be removed and disposed of hygienically away from the garden and home compost bins. The pathogen can overwinter in plant debris to infect new plants during the next growing season.
Dry Rot
Dry rot is spread by a pest, namely the yam nematode (Scutellonema bradys). Nematodes are microscopic worms that attack the roots of the plant, causing crumbly, dry, rotten areas. These damaged areas can also lead to wet rot, which causes soggy, black areas.
Initially, this condition is hard to detect as it affects the roots and growing tubers, which are underground.
Routine checking just below the surface will assist in early troubleshooting of this disease.
Tubers will show yellowing lesions, which eventually turn to brown and then black. Cracks will appear in the tubers running towards the central column as fungus enters, furthering the decay and eventual collapse of the entire plant.
Remove all affected plant matter and surrounding soil if this becomes an issue.
Use crop rotation with chilies or maize to break the nematode cycle. You can also plant marigolds near the plants as part of your crop rotation strategy because marigolds deter nematodes.
Mealybugs
Mealybugs are common pests from the family Pseudococcidae. These pests attach themselves to stems where they use their sucking mouthparts to feed on the sap of the plant.
They excrete a honeydew sap, which attracts ants. Ants are even known to build their nests in close proximity to this excellent food source.
The sap also attracts sooty mold, which coats the leaves and reduces the ability of the plant to photosynthesize.
To combat outbreaks of mealybugs, introduce companion plants such as Achillea, alyssum, dill, garlic, marigolds, and sunflowers. These will attract predatory insects such as lady beetles, lacewings, spiders, predatory wasps, pirate bugs, and predaceous midges.
A home-prepared soap spray can assist in controlling the mealybugs. If using an insecticide, the predators of this insect will also be affected, potentially leading to more outbreaks that are harder to control.
Harvesting Bush Carrots
Harvest the roots once they’ve reached your preferred size, which typically happens once the flowers appear.
As with many root vegetables, harvesting the crop isn’t rocket science. However, there are some golden rules in order to successfully uplift the bush carrot, particularly in loamy, clay-based soils.
It’s worth harvesting them just before you use them, whether cooking or eating raw.
To harvest, use a trowel to dig around the plant to be harvested a few inches away from the base. Make sure to dig deep enough for the entire root to be exposed.
Gently lift the plant by hand. If it isn’t releasing easily, keep digging around the plant and loosening up the soil.
Cut the root from the vine and dust off any loose soil. Don’t wash the root until just before you want to eat it.
The beans can be pulled from the plant when they are plump and have a slight give to them.
Preparing Bush Carrots
The beans can be prepared as you would other bean species.
There are several ways these remarkable vegetables can be prepared for the table or for a quick, nutritious snack.
When cooking bush carrots, their water content will be reduced by about half, much like their counterpart, the yam.
Keep it simple and this vegetable will respond with flavor and be a wonderful addition to meat dishes, vegetarian or vegan meals. To roast some up, you’ll need:
- Good quality aluminum foil
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ground sea salt
- Ground pepper
- Trimmed bush carrots
- Baking sheet
Whether entertaining around the table at home or sitting around a campfire follow these steps:
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F if using or start the fire and allow a good amount of hot red coals to develop.
- Prepare tin foil by cutting it into squares.
- Lightly coat the foil with extra virgin oil.
- Place roots onto the foil squares.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Fold over the foil to make parcels.
- Place foil parcels onto a baking sheet or directly onto the coals.
- Place in the middle of the oven.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until the roots are easily pierced with a fork.
- Serve and enjoy.