Plants will ship Mid-March 🙂
Yacon, Crystal, (Polymnia sonchifolia) in a 9 inch pot, organic
$21.00
Family: Aster (Asteraceae)
Zones 7 to 12. May be grown in cooler zones as a summer annual–dig tubers after first frost.
Tuberous perennial native to S. America, a heavy feeder that prefers full sun and rich soil, attaining 5 feet tall and equally as wide, with multiple stalks. The secondary tubers may be dug in the fall, and they are large, weighty and productive, rich in fructose and inulin, crisp and delectable. A traditional Andean food. After digging the tubers, age them in a cool, dark place for a week or two before eating–they develop their sugars during this resting period, becoming internally almost crystalline. Don’t be put off by wrinkly skin–they are delicious! Aerial parts contain 17% protein, making them an excellent feed for livestock. The plants are bold and tough, with decorative, winged leaves, preferring full sun and regular garden soil. Plants reach maturity in 6 to 7 months, flowering bright orange. This is a choice cultivar, crunchy and sweet. The primary photo is of the actual storage tuber (the edible part). In the gallery, I have placed photos of the plant as it grows, and of the crown portion (the reddish part used for propagation purposes). Space plants 3 feet apart.
Potted plant, Certified Organically Grown
Out of stock
Question
Beth Withey –
If I receive a plant in early June, will that give the plant long enough in the ground or container to get a harvest? I’m in zone 6b–it’s drifting toward zone 7 now, but is changeable– also my sun is patchy, and of course lots of deer. 🙂 Thanks!
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Richo Cech –
hi beth, i haven’t seen that the deer are much attracted to yacon. the 9-inch yacon are already nicely developed, june is a great time to plant them. r
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Question
Mary Hubenschmidt (verified owner) –
I grew this plant in Michigan this summer and want to keep the crown alive over the winter do I just cut the top off and put it in water until it grows roots ? Or should I plant a root?
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Richo Cech –
hi mary, ok, serendipity, we dug the parent plants yesterday and are having yacon for dinner! It probably won’t work to cut back the plant and mulch the crown, not in michigan. You can dig the plant and use the tubers. The part used for propagation is called a stem cutting but really looks a lot like the crown of the plant–you’ll see it just below the stem attachment when you dig. The way to differentiate the propagation material from the tubers is that the propagation material is orb-shaped and has little kewpie-doll buds coming straight out the top. Slice them apart, at least one sprout per start, and plant about 2 inches deep in a gallon pot. They’ll grow at a slow rate in cool, dark storage and at a fast rate in greenhouse culture. richo
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Question
Joy Baisden –
At what low temperature will these tolerate? I am in zone 6 and successfully grow some zone 7 plants with mulching and frost covers.
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Richo Cech –
Hello Joy, Yacon does like to be mulched and can be grown anywhere in the USA as a summer annual. You might well get the roots/crown/tubers to overwinter with protection in a Z 6, although I think a better approach would be to harvest the tubers after first frost and use them. That’s how most of us proceed with the plant, and with a cold greenhouse, you can pot up the crown and overwinter in the greenhouse, then chop it up and plant to the summer garden come spring.
Richo
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