Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius syn. Polymnia sonchifolia) ‘Morado’
Yacon is a tasty sweet root from the andes. I belongs to same family as dandelion, lettuce, Jerusalem artichoke and wormwood.
It is second time I try to grow yacon. First time I had a small, but tasty harvest. I tried to save some roots for next year, but they died for me.
The variety I try this year grow much better. I grew some nice big dahlia like tubers, and taste is great.
I eat them raw as a treat, since they are so sweet. Like jerusalem artichokes they havea high content of inulin.
Now I hope to overwinter the crown with eyes on the small tubers. If this variety comes easily through winters, many will like to grow it in their gardens.
In an other seed saver garden I saw this variety in warm yellow flowers. I must have been a bit late starting it out in spring.
In the toad's garden 
November 3, 2007 at 20:37
Your yacon looks terrific. My knobby propagative tubers always sprout in a few weeks so I plant them in pots with potting soil for over wintering. In spring, once the danger of frost is past I transplant from the pot.
I have yacon recipes on my blog but agree with you my favorite way to enjoy them is to peel and slice as a snack.
May 1, 2010 at 05:07
I live in texas and have not done well with having yacon plants shipped to me. Can anyone sell me some actual whole tubers that I can divide and plant directly in the soil here? Thank you
January 6, 2011 at 18:57
I was pleased to find this site with lots of comments about Yacon, but not sure how to participate. I’ve been growing Yacon in Oregon (coastal) for many years, and recently began trying to make it into a commercial venture. Biggest obstacle has been people’s lack of knowledge of the crop. The plants do really well here, easily reaching the reported heights of 2 M. or more. I seem to be getting about 2 kilograms of the non-reproductive tubers per plant. About half as much of the reproductive ones. I find that I don’t get much production until November, and I’m now (January) getting signs of what appears to be fungal damages in some tubers, so I’m thinking that the harvest time will probably be mostly restricted to Nov./Dec.
I expect to have 10 or 20 kilos of tubers for reproduction, and would be interested in selling them if practical.
dennis
p.s. – I will attempt to check on replies to this notice on this site.
November 3, 2007 at 23:02
What care and temperature do you give the propagative tubers in pots?
November 4, 2007 at 07:05
The pots are in a bright cool greenhouse kept a few degrees above freezing. Minimal water and no fertilizer is sufficient. A little pruning won’t hurt if they are growing too fast.
November 5, 2007 at 14:29
How do you know when the tubers are ripe?
November 5, 2007 at 20:52
I dig them shortly after the first frost, because they otherwise migt die from harder frost. If you don’t have frost, why not dig out the tubers one by one?
November 25, 2007 at 18:41
Is this similar to a yam or “sweet potato”? I have a recipe that might work for this vegetable: http://www.becomingwhole.typepad.com/my_weblog/2007/11/oven-roasted-je.html
November 26, 2007 at 06:56
Yacon, distantly related to sunflowers, is quite different from Sweet Potato, even when cooked it never seems to lose it’s distinct crispness.
November 26, 2007 at 20:52
To Rose Marie, thanks for sharing your knowledge. I have an unheated greenhouse, and temperature will regularly drop to below the point of freezing. I’ve decided to store them in slightly moist peat in a small ventilated storeroom, always above the freezing point, but unheated. If this doesn’t work out well, I will follow your adwise stricktly next time, although it means I must invest in some kind of heating and temperature control equipment.
To Meg. Rose Marie is an experted yacon cook. Her blog is “The Gardner’s Pantry” http://nicholsgardennursery.wordpress.com/
But yacon really is a sweet treat eaten raw. Yam and “sweet potato” I’ve never tasted. They are not in culture up here. How northern can they be grown in USA?
Yours,
Søren.
March 11, 2012 at 02:10
HI, (sorry for my English writing, I speak french)
I am looking for Smallanthus sonchifolius crowns, I am from Canada, working for Seeds of Diversity. Members of our organism are looking for them, so where can I buy some? Thanks,
Lyne@semences.ca
Seeds of Diversity Coordonator.
November 29, 2007 at 02:03
Yacon planting tubers store well in cool peat. I don’t know about growing sweet potatoes in Denmark. We are 45 degrees latitude here and find it a challenge. However,can you give them some greenhouse space? In big containers you might get a decent crop. Also the leaves are widely eaten in Malaysia and the Philippines. Stir-fried with soy sauce and maybe a little garlic, not bad. So even if you don’t have a great tuber crop you would have greens.
December 1, 2007 at 17:00
I grew yacon this year for the first time. I too was looking for recipes. Also wondering if you store the whole tuber in peat moss or separate the individual eyes first.
December 17, 2007 at 15:01
My Yacon just died back from some cold weather, and I got worried that that was the end. But I understand they should grow back so long as the tubers do not actually freeze. It should be OK here in Southern California, but you never know so I may dig them up.
(You really must try sweet potatoes!!)
December 17, 2007 at 21:12
To Rose Marie: I’ve asked around about sweet potatoes. One have tried special varieties for northern areas (US) over two seasons, only having leaves and no tubers. My greenhouse is occupied with tomatoes, and my plan to try out different eggplants next season. I guess Keith and jsilomans questions are best answered by you 🙂
To Keith: I seperated the tubers for eating from the crown/tubers for planting at harvest. Since I only had a single plant, I didn’t store the eating tubers in a special way. Delicous as the are, they were eaten before the had a chance to loose quality.
To jsiloman: Rose Marie probably have the answer for you. But where I live we know about frost. I imagine, the best would be to leave the tubers in ground, and cover them with insulation. Anything dry plantmaterial can be used, in a thick layer, and then covered with plastic to protect from water and wind, and finally a layer of soil, plantmaterial or an old carpet, to prevent the sun heating inside the little building.
One day I must ask an american to prepare sweet potatoes for me.
I’ve tasted the finnish way of sweet potatoes – they let ordinay potatoes freeze to sweeten, and then prepare as mashed potatoes. Nice and surprising.
December 21, 2007 at 15:50
Lieven just gave me a yacón crown, so I’m going to try growing it next year too. His looks very different from yours, much larger tubers and black skinned. What did the yacón you grew last year look like?
December 21, 2007 at 22:38
The first yacon I grew in 2005 was yellowwhite (potatocolor). I got it from Lauren Rayner. Back then we met at GardenWeb and exchanged seeds and roots. Thanks Lauren.
January 3, 2008 at 09:01
[…] A blogger made a nice post about Yacon – sweet treat from the andes In the toad’s gardenSome information about it […]
January 18, 2008 at 22:02
[…] usually full. I need to find another solution. Then I think of what Rose Marie commented in my last post on yacon. Since winter until now has been very mild, I have now potted up the yacon crowns and put them out […]
March 10, 2008 at 13:03
[…] You can see some pictures of this plant on Søren’s blog. […]
March 10, 2008 at 21:45
[…] https://toads.wordpress.com/2007/11/02/yacon-sweet-treat-from-the-andes/ […]
March 22, 2008 at 10:35
Hi
Where can i purchase the Yacon please??
March 22, 2008 at 11:19
Hi Elaine,
I’ve done a little research for you. Guess you live in UK? If so then you are lucky, being able to buy it at Real Seeds
March 22, 2008 at 15:07
Hi
Thank you so much off to purchase them now.
Going to also see if i can find any where that does the Chillean Guava ??
Elaine
March 29, 2008 at 23:33
People living in USA can purchase yacon from Nichols Garden Nursery
December 26, 2008 at 11:22
hello there,
i just happened to stumble onto your blog and was reading your comments about yacon. and i see we traded seeds/ plants as you mentioned here that i gave you some yacon tubers…. i was wondering if you still have ( alive) any of your red rooted yacon? i am happy to trade or purchase. let me know.
thanks,
lauren
December 27, 2008 at 23:16
Hi Lauren.
I would be happy to present you some tubers of yacon, but last year they didn’t survive my attempt to overwinter them. This autumn Kirsten presented me two tubers to overwinter. I hope to succeed. But until I learn how to get them through the winter, I have no tuber to offer, sorry.
January 6, 2009 at 06:24
In reply to skrubtudsen and the two yacon tubers.Plant in a container about 20 centimeters across. Use a commercial potting mix, give it a little fertilizer and water and leaves should soon sprout. and with luck tiny tubers will develop. These can later be transplanted into the garden. Of course, the tubers must be the knobby ones with eyes not the smooth ones we eat.
Rose Marie
January 24, 2009 at 01:08
Your yacon looks great! I live in Sweden and have been looking all over the net to find yacon roots to grow them. Do you possible have any that I could buy? I live some 40 km from Malmö, so it would be easy for me to come visit you. /Mikael P
January 24, 2009 at 01:22
Ok, I now looked more carefully and found that you already mentioned you don´t have any yacon at present. Do you know of any other place in Europe where you could get yacon? At Real Seeds in England they don´t have any because of the bad harvest this year. I tried from Nichols garden in USA but they say it´s very tricky to send from USA. /Mikael P
January 24, 2009 at 22:55
i would like to buy some yacon tuber crown. like the one on this website. please give me a advise.
January 25, 2009 at 00:07
I’m very sorry not to know where you guys can purchase yacon tubers. Guess you must watch out for another blogger with more succes getting them through winter. You could also join the Homegrown Goddness webboard and ask the friendly people there.
http://alanbishop.proboards60.com/index.cgi
I hope to become a better yacon grower in the coming years 🙂
January 26, 2009 at 03:34
I think I’ll have some extra stem tubers. If you like, send me an email at weblogq@patnsteph.net and I’ll let you know for sure in a week or two.
I know I have some, but I haven’t looked carefully to see how many, and I’ve already promised a few to other people.
March 31, 2009 at 05:10
Hi
I planted Yacon for the first time last September 2008 in the Bellinger Valley NSW.
I have dug some of the tubers out [no flowering at all on plant] YUM.
Q. I need recipes or hints for jam or pickles.
I roasted a tuber & the tuber did not loose its sweet taste or firmnes.
Regards
Beth
March 31, 2009 at 19:03
Hi Catherine.
Yes they are lovely those yacons.
For a recipe, check out Rose Marie blog. She made comment #25, just scroll up and click on her name. She has the largest collection of yacon recipes I’ve ever seen.
April 15, 2009 at 12:09
Thanks Skrubtudsen
Tried the site but no jam or pickles recipes.
Any other ideas?????
Regards
Beth
wet northern NSW
April 15, 2009 at 20:42
Sorry, only one idea left: Invent a recipe and share it with the rest of us if it turns out delicious.
Kind regards.
April 19, 2009 at 18:34
does anyone know where I can purchase some yacon tubers to get started here in new mexico. it seems nearly impossible to find
August 13, 2009 at 22:38
My yacon is huge (~5ft tall now) but haven’t tried digging the roots yet. I don’t have a greenhouse to store overwinter, so maybe I can send some to NM and you can propagate for both of us?
April 21, 2009 at 19:40
Hi Mike,
living in USA, you should look at Nichols Garden Nursery http://www.nicholsgardennursery.com/ they sell yacon, and are very knowledged in yacon.
May 23, 2009 at 18:23
[…] a look at Yacon, sweet treat from the Andes and Yacon crown in january […]
June 16, 2009 at 17:38
Hi,
I am looking to purchase Yacon tubers. Can some one help me fined a suppler. I live in North Texas, Denton area.
Thanks in advance!
August 14, 2009 at 03:13
Seeds of Change sometimes has yacon for americans
May 1, 2010 at 05:11
I have ordered plants from them twice. They are very expensive and the tiny bit of tuber they have sent with the plant did not do well in the shipping transition. The young plants are very fragile and it gets too hot to ship fragile plants early in the year. I am thinking If i can get whole undivided tubers shipped, they will have a much better survival rte adn shold do very well.
July 23, 2013 at 21:20
[…] https://toads.wordpress.com/2007/11/02/yacon-sweet-treat-from-the-andes/ […]
October 17, 2014 at 19:08
[…] from only part of the tuber. They seem to be able to grow well just about anywhere (even ‘In the toad’s garden’ in Denmark) so if you want to grow something a bit different, but not tricky, may I recommend the […]
November 26, 2014 at 15:35
Hej!
May I know what is “Yacon” in Danish and can I buy it in the shops in Denmark please?
November 26, 2014 at 19:18
Hej 🙂
It is very new in Denmark. We have just call it yacon until now. I have not seen it in the shops yet, but you might be able to find it in etnic shop in copenhagen and other larger towns. It taste great, easy to use in the kitchen, easy to grow and easy to store. Should be easy to sell, when the supermarkets find them
November 30, 2014 at 07:15
Also good to eat as you would an apple [make sure you peel before eating]. I grow mine in pots.
February 22, 2016 at 11:27
I am looking for Morado yacon rhyzomes. I hope anybody let me have a chance to have it. I live in California.
kenneth1592@yahoo.com