General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Water Preferences: Wet Mesic
Mesic
Soil pH Preferences: Moderately acid (5.6 – 6.0)
Slightly acid (6.1 – 6.5)
Neutral (6.6 – 7.3)
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 7a -17.8 °C (0 °F) to -15 °C (5 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 11
Plant Height: Up to 6 feet (1.8 m), but most varieties to 4 feet (1.2 m)
Plant Spread: Up to 30 inches (75 cm)
Fruiting Time: Fall
Flowers: Showy
Flower Color: Orange
Bloom Size: 2"-3"
Flower Time: Fall
Underground structures: Rhizome
Tuber
Uses: Culinary Herb
Medicinal Herb
Vegetable
Suitable as Annual
Edible Parts: Roots
Eating Methods: Raw
Cooked
Wildlife Attractant: Bees
Resistances: Humidity tolerant
Toxicity: Other: Leaves are sometimes eaten or used for tea, but appear to be somewhat toxic; the same may be true of the peel of the yacon tuber, which is usually removed
Propagation: Seeds: Will not come true from seed
Other info: Seeds containing viable embryos are extremely rare
Propagation: Other methods: Cuttings: Stem
Cuttings: Tip
Offsets
Crowns
Pollinators: Various insects
Containers: Not suitable for containers
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil
Monoecious

Image
Common names
  • Yacón
  • Peruvian Ground Apple
Botanical names
  • Accepted: Smallanthus sonchifolius
  • Synonym: Polymnia sonchifolia
  • Synonym: Polymnia edulis

Photo Gallery
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Date: 2020-12-23
Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) edible root tastes like not swee
Uploaded by dave

 Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds. Used with permissi
  • Uploaded by Joy

Date: 2005-12-13
Uploaded by dave

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