Marketplace Genus

Yacón

Yacn

1 cultivar

Yacón (Smallanthus sonchifolius), often called the Peruvian Ground Apple, is a robust, herbaceous perennial prized for its large, crisp, and sweet-tasting underground tubers. Reaching 4 to 6 feet tall in a single growing season, this impressive Andean native features thick stems and large, fuzzy, arrowhead-shaped leaves that bring a lush, tropical appearance to landscape beds and food forests. In late autumn, it produces modest, yellow, daisy-like flowers at the tips of its tall stalks, reflecting its close relation to the sunflower family. The true harvest lies beneath the soil, where the plant develops a cluster of fleshy storage roots that offer a refreshing, juicy texture similar to jicama or an Asian pear. Ideal for permaculture gardens, sunny borders, and edible landscapes, Yacón requires a long growing season to maximize its unique harvest. It thrives in full sun with consistent moisture and can be grown as a perennial in Zones 9-11, or cultivated as an annual in colder climates where the tubers are harvested before the first hard frost.