Jerusalem Artichoke / Sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus)

Family: Asteraceae | Edibility: Choice Edible (4/5)

Tall native perennial sunflower yielding crisp, knobby underground tubers packed with sweet inulin. Flowers burst into cheerful yellow blossoms in late summer.

Edible Parts & Harvest Seasons

Edible Parts: Roots/Tubers, Shoots, Flowers

Harvest Seasons: Fall, Spring, Winter

Flavor & Culinary Uses

Crisp water-chestnut crunch raw; rich, caramelized nutty artichoke-heart sweetness when slow roasted. — Sliced thinly raw into salads for crisp, refreshing texture; Slow roasted at low heat with olive oil, rosemary, and garlic; Simmered with leeks and pureed into velvety soup; Lacto-fermented with chili and ginger for probiotic pickles

Habitat & North American Range

Prairies, damp meadows, river terraces, ditch banks, and old field borders. (Zone 3, Zone 4, Zone 5, Zone 6, Zone 7, Zone 8, Zone 9)