Jerusalem Artichoke

Jerusalem Artichokes are a native perennial plant that can reach over eight feet in height. As you can see, using the five foot shovel for comparison, mine did that easily this year. Helianthus tuberosus, is a sunflower and not related to artichokes at all. They are grown for the edible tubers they produce in abundance even in a dry year like this one was.  Most text about Jerusalem Artichokes say you can use them any way you use a potato but they are not that good boiled having a somewhat watery texture when cooked that way. I think they are good in a stir fry, they have a texture similar to water chestnuts then.The tubers store their carbohydrates as inulin rather than starch so they are a good choice for people who have issues with carbohydrates and may be helpful for people with diabetes.
 The flower is about three inches across but looks more like a daisy than a sunflower. Here in zone three they seldom flower before frost but that has little effect on tuber production. The tubers are dug in late fall giving the plant as much time as possible to fatten the tubers.

The tubers in this pic are about average size, large being about like a medium size potato. Each plant will have a dozen or so tubers. The small ones go back in the ground immediately for next years crop. Any you miss will send up plants next year. They grow best in full sun,average garden soil seems fine. I throw the stalks over the fence to the cows and they seem to relish them. Even the big stalks get eaten after they have eaten the leaves off. Artichokes don't seem to have many problems with bugs or diseases. I have been growing these for over twenty years from the original tubers I planted. A fun and easy addition to the garden even if it is not exactly a main crop.