Sunchoke
Sunchoke
Species: Helianthus tuberosus, Sunchokes are also known as Jerusalem Artichokes or J Chokes
History: Sunchokes are native to central North America and have traditionally been cultivated by indigenous peoples for their edible tubers. European colonizers sent samples back to Europe where it became naturalized. It has fallen into obscurity in North America but there was some success in marketing it commercially in the 1990s and 2000s.
Why We Grow It: These native plants produce tasty root tubers that, like potatoes, can be prepared and eaten in a variety of ways including raw, roasted, or treated like sauerkraut. Most people can eat them no problem, but some folks do find they can get mildly gassy if they enjoy too much at a time, so if you have never eaten them before, moderation is advised. They are in the sunflower family so get quite tall and produce lovely little yellow flowers. They spread vigorously as well, and should be managed (easily done with mowing or hand pulling in summer).
Fruit Specs
Fruit Specs
Recommended Use: Fresh eating, cooking, attracting pollinators
Fruit Size:
Storage: Keeps a few months when stored in cool, humid conditions
Harvest: October
Growing Specs
Growing Specs
Canadian Hardiness Zone: 3
Soil Preference: Prefer loose, well-drained, fertile soils that are slightly acidic but adaptable to most kinds of soils
Flowering Time: Summer - Late
Bloom Colour: Yellow
Pollination Requirements:
Sun/Shade Requirements:
Full sun to partial shade (approx. 6-10 hours of sun daily)
General Growth Habits:
Grows 6ft tall, spreads vigourously. Not generally bothered by pests or diseases. Flowers late August to September. Harvest October to December, but best after one or two lights frosts.
Shipping vs. Pick Up
Shipping vs. Pick Up
CLICK HERE to see how shipping compares to pick up.
Shipping: Every year we ship thousands of trees across Canada (except BC due to CFIA regulations). We carefully bag roots in damp sawdust, then box them and send them out via courrier. CLICK HERE to see our shipping policy.
Pick-up: We also have thousands of trees picked up from our nursery each year. The pick-up options is free, though you must wait until you have been emailed a confirmation that your order is ready to pick up, which will have further information such as hours, locations, etc. We really appreciate if you can make an appointment to pick up, then we can be as organized as possible during our busy season.
Size at Purchase
Size at Purchase
Our bareroot perennial vegetables are sold as root crowns or tubers and will often have little to no vegetative growth on them. Depending on the plant, you may receive one or two root chunks, crowns, or tubers per order. The size varies significantly between species.
Like with our other plants, we recommend planting our perennial vegetables dormant so the transplanting process is less stressful on them. As a result, they may not look like much when you receive them but they tend to start growing fairly quickly.