California manroot
ExplorePlants
California manroot
Marah fabacea
California manroot is a unique plant with big, heart-shaped leaves and long, twisting vines. It grows in sunny places and can climb over other plants, making it look like a green blanket in nature.
Habitat: Coastal areas
Appearance
The California manroot is a fast-growing vine with large, deeply lobed green leaves. It produces clusters of small, white to creamy-yellow flowers. Its most striking feature is the round to oval fruit, covered in soft, yellowish-green spines.
KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderCucurbitalesFamilyCucurbitaceaeGenusMarah
Category
PlantsRarity
Common
Danger
2/5 · Low
Snaps
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Interesting facts
Its enormous root can grow over 200 pounds, hiding underground!
Its speedy vines can grow up to a foot in a single day!
Native Americans once used parts of this plant for traditional medicine!
This plant can sprout new vines incredibly fast after winter rains!
Special abilities
Ability
Water Storage Giant
California manroot has a massive underground tuber that stores water, helping it survive long, dry summers.
Ability
Climbing Champion
California manroot uses coiling tendrils to quickly climb over other plants and structures to reach sunlight.
Ability
Explosive Seeds
California manroot's spiky fruit can burst open suddenly, scattering its seeds far from the parent plant.
Measurements & details
- Height
- 100-600 cm
- Spread
- 100-600 cm
- Flower Size
- 1-2 cm
- Bloom Season
- Late winter to spring
- Edible
- No
- Toxicity
- Moderate
- Lifecycle
- Perennial
- Pollination Method
- Insect
Ecological connections
pollinates
European honey bee
Apis mellifera
Visits flowers for nectar and pollen
pollinates
Yellow-faced bumblebee
Bombus vosnesenskii
Important native pollinator of its blooms
eaten by
Mule deer
Odocoileus hemionus
Deer browse on its leaves and shoots
Traits
Flowering
Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
Evergreen
Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once.
Fruit Bearing
Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.
Drought Tolerant
Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability.
Edible
Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
Pollinator Magnet
Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms.
Coastal
Coastal habitats are dynamic environments located along the interface between land and sea, influenced by tides, waves, and saltwater.
Also known as
No aliases listed yet.
Collections
Safety
Danger
2/5 · Low
Don't eat any part of this plant, as it can make you feel sick.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is California manroot?
100-600 cm
How wide does California manroot spread?
100-600 cm
How big are the flowers on California manroot?
1-2 cm
When does California manroot bloom?
Late winter to spring
Is California manroot edible?
No
Is California manroot toxic?
Moderate
What is California manroot's lifecycle?
Perennial
How is California manroot pollinated?
Insect
Snap Map
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