# Has anyone seen this jeruselum artichoke? wow.



## wavecrazed (Sep 21, 2011)

I went to my friends house to mow the grass and drink some golden sodas. Noticed some 14 foot weeds. They have these big sunflower like flowers on top with bumble bees and bees nectering up. The flowers smell real perfumy. They also are in full bloom now in december here in north Orlando. Would they have any value for honey making? I found the root are good eating. (chokes) Sun chokes. Thanks. Wish I had camera at the time. Will post some pics soon.


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

I grew some a few years ago. They are easy to propagate and grow.


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## sammyjay (May 2, 2011)

Jerusalem Artichokes are in the same genus as Sunflowers, which are said to be good for bees. I don't have any experience with them though.


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## Seymore (May 1, 2009)

I grow them. Have not noticed them as an exceptional attractant, but I could have missed it. They ARE over my head a good few feet! Be forewarned - they are INVASIVE. Plant them only where you don't mind ALWAYS having them. Last year was my 3rd year at trying to extricate from a specific area and it was their best year yet! :lpf: Every year I feel certain "I got the last of them!"

They do make a great snack, great sliced raw in salads, dip in dips, etc.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Before I plant a jerusalem artichoke - just in case I change my mind - is there any way to get rid of them?


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## Seymore (May 1, 2009)

Yes. Move.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

Drought won't do it? I'm not planting. (My technique of weed removal is often abandonment. I don't water, it don't rain, weeds do not thrive.)


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## Seymore (May 1, 2009)

Well...I'm not sure on that one. Mine are in an area of my beds that do get watered. I am trying to move them to an area that does not get watered, but they - seriously - just keep getting stronger in the bed I'm taking them out of (nice, fluffy, well-amended dirt) and havent really taken in the bed I'm moving them to ("just dirt"). I'll know better this spring since my timing for moving may have been better. 

I do not want them in my regular beds cuz they get so tall and overtake everything - by height and growth - but I do want to keep them cuz they are edible, interesting, carefree, and I figure must provide something for the bees. If not bees, birds and butterflies for sure.

I've always called myself a "lazy gardener." I look for the stuff that flourishes with minimal attention and does reasonably well in drought conditions. We are on a well here in Booneyville and therefore no sprinkling system to speak of. This mindset taught me early on to understand and much appreciate native species.


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## Daniel Y (Sep 12, 2011)

I got to try some of these over the weekend raw right our of the garden. Sort of like a very small potato with a nutty sort of flavor to them. crisp, something like a radish type feel to them. If they can grow here they can grow anywhere.


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## Seymore (May 1, 2009)

Yup, grow pert near anywhere. The only thing hard about them is the "moving" part. 

Really, I did read somewhere someone said that was the only way to get rid of them - to move. I loved it - in light of my determinedness to get rid of them. Seems the little tubers are EVERYWHERE! Lol.


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## Gypsi (Mar 27, 2011)

a little artichoke which will grow in nevada will take over in Texas. 
I'm passing on this one. I remember the year of the faux moonflower - datura. Gorgeous, spread over my shrubs, blooms opened in the evening closed at dawn. Took me 5 years to get rid of it and its offspring.


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## Seymore (May 1, 2009)

I totally understand. I had a wild ginger like that too! That's why I thought it was important to mention. Invasive is good in some areas, long as you know what you're getting into. But it's a great plant for that isolated area.


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## dmpower (Nov 7, 2010)

Gypsi said:


> Before I plant a jerusalem artichoke - just in case I change my mind - is there any way to get rid of them?


I sell mine to the local restaurants. That gives me the extra push to go and dig them up each year so they never really get too out of control.


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## summer1052 (Oct 21, 2007)

Don't plant them! 

DH once planted them in the garden he had at his work site. (Building components shop in a undeveloped area) Planted two. Just 2. Three years later, he DOZED and BACKHOED the garden to get rid of them. Brought in a RAILCAR of new topsoil. The {deleted} {deleted} {deleted} ing {deleted} ers still came up through the 6 foot high pile of new soil.

If we ever have nuclear holocaust, it will be the divorce lawyers, ****roaches and Jerusalem Artichokes that survive!

*Summer*


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## mrspock (Feb 1, 2010)

Seymore said:


> They do make a great snack, great sliced raw in salads, dip in dips, etc.


Seriously?!?! They cause me terrible gastrointestinal upset. We're talking Geronimos revenge here.

I assumed it was the same for most folks...

Sure love the taste, though. I do a bout of JA yearly.


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## Seymore (May 1, 2009)

dmpower said:


> I sell mine to the local restaurants. That gives me the extra push to go and dig them up each year so they never really get too out of control.


Excellent idea!


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## Seymore (May 1, 2009)

summer1052 said:


> Don't plant them!
> 
> DH once planted them in the garden he had at his work site. (Building components shop in a undeveloped area) Planted two. Just 2. Three years later, he DOZED and BACKHOED the garden to get rid of them. Brought in a RAILCAR of new topsoil. The {deleted} {deleted} {deleted} ing {deleted} ers still came up through the 6 foot high pile of new soil.
> 
> ...


:lpf::lpf:Love it, Summer! ORRRRRRR..... just plant them in a bed that is all special and just for them??? That's what I'm going to do with my Comfrey. Anyone planted Comfrey? I read something that sounds like it might be similar.


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## Mr. C (Oct 27, 2011)

I've got some in the garden, did great last year, I'm sure they'll spread, but I'm pretty dilligent. You can get rid of them and it may be easy depending where you live/who you know. All you have to do is let a pig loose on them. They absolutely love them and will root out every last little tuber and turn your dirt up nicely... and destroy anything else in the vicinity of course but you get some nice smelly fertilizer. My uncle had to clear them out once, worked like a charm apparently (Pig tasted good too). I think hat's the reason they've mostly switched to dogs for hunting truffels, pigs are great at finding stuff in the ground, and even better at eating it.


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## dmpower (Nov 7, 2010)

sammyjay said:


> Jerusalem Artichokes are in the same genus as Sunflowers, which are said to be good for bees. I don't have any experience with them though.


Sunchokes send most of their energy to the root system and not to their seeds. Yes they are related but propagate very differently.


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## dmpower (Nov 7, 2010)

Seymore said:


> :lpf::lpf:Love it, Summer! ORRRRRRR..... just plant them in a bed that is all special and just for them??? That's what I'm going to do with my Comfrey. Anyone planted Comfrey? I read something that sounds like it might be similar.


I am just planting comfrey for the first time this year. Here is some great information about how it is used as mulch during the year. I guess this might be a good warning if you are unsure if and where you want to plant it. " The taproot from Comfrey travels down about 10ft bringing valuable minerals to the upper soil levels and to the plant itself."
http://arignagardener.wordpress.com/tag/comfrey/


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