Yacon
Smallanthus sonchifolius
Sweet, crisp tubers like a juicy apple.
Hardiness: zones 8 to 11
Light: full sun to part shade
Size: about 6 ft tall, 3 ft wide
Harvest: October to November
From: Andes
Here: Too tender to overwinter outdoors on the Lake Erie shore (zone 6b to 7a): grow it in a pot and bring it in, or treat it as an annual.
Good for: food, pollinators.
Native to: Andean highlands. Hardy in zones 8 to 11.
The story
Yacon was grown by farmers in the Andes long before the Inca, a crisp, juicy root eaten raw to quench thirst on long walks, and its sweetness comes from inulin rather than sugar. It spread to Japan and New Zealand in the 1980s and grows wherever dahlias do.
Planting
Full sun or part shade, rich loose soil, and a long season; it grows like a dahlia to 6 feet. Plant crown pieces with buds after frost.
Growing
Water generously and mulch; it is thirsty in late summer. No pruning. Stake in windy sites.
Harvest and use
Dig after frost blackens the tops, in late autumn; the big storage tubers are eaten, the small red crown pieces replanted. Leave tubers in the sun a few days to sweeten.
What to watch for
Slugs, and early frost before the tubers fill in short-season places.
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General guidance, not professional advice. Conditions vary by yard and year; for local specifics ask your county extension office. Never eat a wild plant you cannot identify with certainty. Traditional uses are shared as history, not medical advice. © 2026 Sean Priest · Irie Orchard. Terms & credits · Privacy · Home