Jerusalem Artichoke

Scientific Name: Helianthus tuberosus. The Greek words for sun (helios) and flower (anthos) combine to form the genus for this sunflower (Helianthus). The edible tubers of the plant are referred to by the Latin species name, tuberosus, which means lumpy.¹

Common Name: Jerusalem artichoke. What a misleading name! This plant is neither an artichoke nor from Jerusalem, but instead from North America! Other common names include sunchoke, sunroot, or even earth apple. Which name do you think fits best?^1,2

Family: Asteraceae (Aster Family). This is one of the largest plant families, with over 32,000 members! Plants in this family are also known as composites, referring to their flower heads which comprise two types of flowers: ray and disk florets. Disk florets are small flowers which are grouped tightly together in the center of the head, while ray florets resemble petals and are arranged around the margins. Some members of this family have both types of flower, while others have just one. The yellow center of a daisy is a dense cluster of disk florets, and the white “petals” are ray florets. Can you think of any other plants with composite flowers?⁴

Average Height: 3-11 feet

Description: A perennial plant that spreads easily, forming colonies through horizontal shoots with roots and tubers. The green to reddish stems are rough with white hairs, branching towards the top. Rough leaves are typically oval-shaped, 4–8” long, toothed, and have winged petioles which tend to be longest on the lower leaves. Lower leaves are usually arranged opposite each other while upper leaves are alternate. Flowerheads are 2 ½–3 ½” across with yellow, tubular disk florets surrounded by 10–20 yellow ray florets. The ray florets are sterile, while the disk florets are fertile and will be replaced by dry fruits with single seeds.^1,3,4,5

Bloom time: Jul – Oct

Notes: The hairy stems of Helianthus tuberosus can separate it from several native sunflowers such as woodland sunflower (Helianthus divaricatus) and pale-leaved sunflower (Helianthus strumosus). Other characteristics that distinguish it are long petioles (greater than ¾”) and leaves with 3 raised veins.^3,4,5

Range: Found in all but a few counties in Virginia, this species has been introduced to Virginia. It’s currently found throughout the United States (except in several states in the west) and much of Canada (excluding some of the northern and western provinces). Due to its current wide distribution, there is some debate about where it originally grew. Although previously thought to originate from the East Coast as far west as Arkansas, it is now thought that the native range was in plains and prairies west of Ohio, Arkansas, and Texas.^2,6,7,8

Geology/Soil: Prefers moist, slightly nutrient rich soils, but will grow in a variety of soils if they are well-drained.^2,4

Habitat: Grows in wet areas such as bottomlands and riverbanks, as well as on roadsides and in fields.^2,8

Flora associations: This introduced species can be found growing with native species such as boxelder (Acer negundo var. negundo), spicebush (Lindera benzoin), common persimmon (Diospyros virginiana), and Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), as well as nonnatives like Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum) and lesser celandine (Ficaria verna).

Fauna associations: This plant is associated with everything from insects attracted to its pollen and nectar (bees, flies, and butterflies) to insects that feed on other parts of the plant (caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, fly larvae, and more!) to birds that eat the seeds to rodents that eat the seeds and roots. Every part of the plant gets eaten by some creature! Some bees, such as a digger bee (Melissodes agilis), specialize in pollinating sunflowers (Helianthus spp.). Caterpillars of the silvery checkerspot butterfly (Chlosyne nycteis) and some Tortrix moths (Eucosma sombreana and Eucosma bilineana) as well as a skeletonizing leaf beetle (Trirhabda adela) all prefer to feed on the foliage of Helianthus tuberosus and other sunflowers. Many birds like goldfinches, sparrows, and meadowlarks enjoy the seeds, while rodents, such as the plains pocket gopher (Geomys bursarius), eat the tubers and roots.^2,4,10

Human associations: Helianthus tuberosus has a long history as a source of food. Indigenous Peoples from many nations eat the tubers, and the Cherokee have cultivated them for hundreds of years.^9,11 Tubers have a nutty flavor and may be eaten raw or prepared by boiling or roasting.^1,9 The tubers are grown commercially in both the United States and Europe for eating and producing alcoholic beverages.^1,6,7,11

We want these plants to thrive and for everyone who gets to visit the park to enjoy them, so remember – don’t pick flowers or other parts of the plant!!

1 “Helianthus Tuberosus – Plant Finder.” Missouribotanicalgarden.org, 2024, www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=277201. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

2 “Helianthus Tuberosus (Earth Apple, Jerusalem Artichoke, Sunchoke, Sunroot) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.” Plants.ces.ncsu.edu, plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/helianthus-tuberosus/. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

3 Weakley, A.S., J.C. Ludwig, and J.F. Townsend. 2012. Flora of Virginia. Bland Crowder, ed. Foundation of the Flora of Virginia Project, Inc., Richmond. Fort Worth: Botanical Research Institute of Texas Press, pp. 275, 337-342.

4 “Jerusalem Artichoke (Helianthus Tuberosus).” Illinoiswildflowers.info, 2024, www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/ja_sunflowerx.htm. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

5 “Helianthus Tuberosus – North Carolina Botanical Garden.” Floraquest.org, 2017, floraquest.org/plant/show.php?id_plant=HETU. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

6 “NatureServe Explorer 2.0 – Helianthus Tuberosus.” Natureserve.org, 2024, explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.138458/Helianthus_tuberosus. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

7 Schilling, Edward E. “Helianthus Tuberosus – FNA.” Floranorthamerica.org, 2020, floranorthamerica.org/Helianthus_tuberosus. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

8 “Digital Atlas of the Virginia Flora | Helianthus Tuberosus L.” Vaplantatlas.org, 2024, www.vaplantatlas.org/index.php?do=plant&plant=2148&search=Search. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

9 “BRIT – Native American Ethnobotany Database.” Brit.org, 2024, naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=helianthus+tuberosus. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.

10 “Helianthus Tuberosus Search.” Bugguide.net, 2024, bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=helianthus+tuberosus&search=Search. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

11 “Helianthus Tuberosus – My Cherokee Garden.” My Cherokee Garden, 4 Sept. 2013, mycherokeegarden.com/?s=helianthus+tuberosus&submit=Search. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

Definitions:

Composite: A member of the Asteraceae family.

Disk floret: One of the small, tubular flowers clustered in the center of a composite flower like a daisy or sunflower.

Petiole: A leaf stalk.

Ray floret: The petal-like flowers forming the outer ring of flowers in a composite flower.