Description
Also called Jerusalem artichoke and sunroot, these are probably the easiest staple crop you can grow. Sunchokes have been cultivated for millennia by Indigenous nations of the eastern woodlands and continue to be today. A type of sunflower, the entire plant is edible but their tubers are the main crop. They contain inulin, a type of prebiotic that we can’t digest but instead feeds our gut flora- this can cause flatulence, but slow cooking or lacto-fermenting them, as well as regular eating, will decrease this effect.
One of the last plants to flower in our area, many species of native bees flock to them, and their seeds seem to be just as palatable to birds as those of other sunflowers.
The plants will spread- even if you think you dug up every last one. They can be planted in most soil conditions but desire full sun. Can grow up to 9′ tall and dies back every winter.
