This is one of the best selections for eating raw. Highly productive with long large crisp tubers with no knobs.Tubers tend to vary in shape with this selection. Some can be up to 12 inches long with small side branches along the main tuber. Plants can reach up to 12 ft. tall with large flowers up to 3-4 inches across. In our planting each plant can spread 3-5 ft. in one direction so definitely not a "clumper" in the artichoke world. Found as a road side seedling in southwestern Michigan where a farmer unsuccessfully tried to kill it thinking it a weed. Thank goodness it was brought to his attention and now this plant thrives in many places.

This native member of the sunflower family is a strong spreading perennial with beautiful yellow daisy flowers crowning tall green leafy stalks in late summer. The tubers, or sunchokes, are best harvested in the late fall and are fine to harvest until growth begins again in the spring. They taste great when cooked, boiled or sautéed; and are especially delicious as a potato substitute in a German potato salad recipe.

Permaculturists like Helianthus tuberosus because it’s a hefty producer and a great companion plant. One can produce hundreds of pounds of tubers in say, a 6×16 foot garden bed, during one season.