Description

Yacon PLANT – Smallanthus sonchifolius

Yacon PLANT – Smallanthus sonchifolius is an attractive perennial root vegetable with beautiful green foliage, large leaves, and small yellow flowers. Delicious in taste with many health benefits. It thrives during spring and summer. The greens die off in winter and this is the time when the root can be harvested, or at least most of them. It grows two types of roots, small round ones just under the surface and large ones underneath. Both types are edible but the smaller ones are usually used for planting. Yacon is a close relative of Jerusalem artichoke and sunflower.

Eating tips: for me, the root tastes like a crisp juicy apple with a hint of sunflower seeds, or something in between. Delicious! It can be eaten raw, in salads, or as a vegetable in stir-fries and other dishes.

Health Benefits of Yacon: “Tubers of yacon consist of water and fructooligosaccharides. It means the majority of carbohydrate sugars cannot be digested by the body which results in low-calorie level and prevent excess sugar from coming into the bloodstream. It assists the body increase in absorption of minerals and vitamins from all other foods. Yacon has a high content of calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. It has anti-hyperglycemic effects (In Folk medicine, leaves are used for hypoglycemia as a medicinal tea.), it can help with blood pressure regulation, normalise cholesterol, assist in losing weight, assist digestion, strengthen bones, and supports liver and cardiovascular health.” (source: https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/yacon/, 11th Sept. 2022)

Yacon harvest in my food forest

Planting and growing tips:

1. Please give it a good drink and place it in a half-shade position out of the wind.
2. Leave it in the original pot for a few days until it recovers from the journey.
3. Re-pot or plant into a larger pot or to the ground at the latest when the roots start to come out of the bottom holes. It will thrive in half shade and shade.
4. Watering straight after planting is essential! From then on, regular watering until the plant establishes is highly recommended.
5. It will grow in nearly all sorts of soil but like many plants, it doesn’t like to sit in water so a well-drained position is best. All our edibles grow happily and quickly in slightly raised garden beds.
6. The best planting time is spring and summer. You can leave it in the ground to grow for the next growing season if you are not satisfied with the size in the first year.

Additional notes:

• The price is for one plant, naturally grown with love in my permaculture food forest in Pacific Haven QLD Australia. Sending within Australia only, not to NT WA TAS. Pick up by appointment only.
• The potted plant images are just an example.
• Most of our nursery plants grow in a half-shade. Introducing them to the sun slowly before replanting them to their permanent position will promote healthy growth.
• We usually dispatch on Monday to make sure the plant arrives at your place before the weekend.
• Do your own research before trying any new foods. Please also note our disclaimer in the footer of this page.