Jerusalem Artichoke - Helianthus tuberosus - €6 for 10 tubers

This relative of the Sunflower is a fast growing herbaceous perennial that forms an abundance of underground tubers that can be eaten cooked or raw. The tall dense growth provides excellent shelter to plants growing nearby, and in the autumn can be cut back providing a prolific quantity of mulch for the garden.  We are offering 10 tubers which if planted in the autumn or spring  will yield well the following autumn. To order this plant please contact us: [email protected].  

Context

  • native region: Eastern N. America
  • native habitat: Rich and damp thickets
  • family: Asteraceae or Compositae

Predators

  • Slugs find new shoots and tubers very attractive  

Needs, tolerances 

  • light: Full sun
  • soil pH:  Acid, neutral -basic alkaline 
  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 - 8
  • Prefers dry or moist soil
  • Water when dry in summer  
  • For best root production grow in well composted beds with good light exposure.
  • The first frost kills the stems and leaves, but the tubers can withstand freezing temperatures for months 


Known hazards 

  • The tubers are rich in inulin, a starch which the body cannot digest, so Jerusalem artichokes provide a bulk of food without many calories. Some people are not very tolerant of inulin, and it can ferment in their guts and cause wind
  • Can be invasive 

Overview

  • 10 BGN - €6 for 10 tubers  
  • Fresh tubers
  • Herbaceous perennial  growing to 2.4 m  by 0.6 m at a fast rate.​
  • In flower in October, and the seeds ripen in November. 
  • The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, flies.
  • Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil.
  • Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils.
  • Cannot grow in the shade.
  • Prefers dry or moist soil.
  • Can tolerate strong winds but not maritime exposure.

Characteristics

  • form: Herbaceous perennial 
  • layer : Rhizome Layer
  • habit: Multi-stemmed large leaved, tuberous root system. 
  • height x width (m): 2.4 x 0.6
  • years to bearing yield: 1 year  
  • productive life span: Indefinite 

Products 

  • Tubers:  The tubers can be harvested at the end of the growing season eaten cooked or raw or pickled. The tubers bruise easily and lose moisture rapidly so are best left in the ground and harvested as required
  • The inulin from the roots can be converted into fructose, a sweet substance that is safe for diabetics to use
  • The roasted tubers are a coffee substitute.
  • Leaf and Stem: large amounts of shoot and leaf provide a good biomass for mulching  
  • Windbreak

Functions, behaviours

  • Tuberous growth spread rapidly 
  •  A fast-growing plant, Jerusalem artichokes can be grown as a temporary summer screen
  • Plants do not flower in northern Europe. They are sensitive to day-length hours, requiring longer periods of light from seedling to maturation of plant, and shorter periods for tuber formation.
If you would like this plant please send an email to [email protected] with your order. 
Balkan Ecology Project