Andean sunflower relative producing large clusters of crisp sweet brown-skinned tubers below ground. The tubers store carbohydrate as inulin (a low-GI fibre) rather than starch, giving an apple-like sweet crunch.
Hardiness ratings
| System | Rating | Temperature range | How to read it |
|---|---|---|---|
| USDA hardiness zone | Zone 7–11 | −17.8 °C to 10 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| RHS hardiness rating | H3 | −5 °C to 1 °C | Plant needs at least this level of cold tolerance |
| Canadian plant hardiness zone | Zone 8–9 | −7 °C and warmer | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
| Australian (ANBG) zone | Zone 2–6 | −10 °C to 15 °C | Plant tolerates down to this zone |
Growing notes
- Native to the Andean valleys of Peru, Bolivia, and northern Argentina
- Edible tubers — eaten raw like an apple-pear hybrid, also juiced or stewed; sweetness from inulin rather than sucrose, low glycaemic impact
- Less day-length sensitive than oca, ulluco, mashua — sets tubers under longer-day conditions, easier to grow outside the Andes
- Frost-tender to top growth but tubers survive light freeze in the ground
Categories
Related plants
Cross-check Yacón against your zones