Yacon: The Sweet Surprise Your Garden Didn’t Know It Needed
If you’re looking to add something completely different to your garden—something that’s part vegetable, part ornamental showstopper—let me introduce you to yacon (Polymnia sonchifolia). This South American native might just be the conversation starter your landscape has been missing.
What Exactly Is Yacon?
Yacon is a fascinating plant that bridges the gap between your flower border and vegetable patch. While it produces stunning foliage above ground that can reach an impressive 6-8 feet tall, the real treasure lies buried beneath the soil in the form of sweet, crunchy tubers that taste like a cross between an apple and a pear.
Originally hailing from the Andes mountains of South America, including Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia, this plant has been cultivated for centuries for its naturally sweet roots. The large, broad leaves create an almost tropical appearance that can transform any garden space into something unexpectedly lush.
Why You Might Want to Grow Yacon
Here’s where yacon gets interesting for gardeners:
- Dual purpose: You get both ornamental value and edible tubers
- Impressive height: Perfect for creating natural screens or background plantings
- Pollinator friendly: Produces small, sunflower-like blooms that attract beneficial insects
- Conversation starter: Most neighbors won’t have seen anything quite like it
- Sweet harvest: The tubers are naturally sweet and can be eaten raw or cooked
The Reality Check
Before you rush to plant yacon everywhere, there are a few things to consider. This plant isn’t native to North America, so while it won’t become invasive, it also won’t provide the same ecological benefits as native species. If supporting local wildlife is your primary goal, you might want to consider native alternatives like cup plant (Silphium perfoliatum) or wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), which offer similar height and pollinator appeal.
Yacon is also quite frost-sensitive, limiting where it can successfully grow as a perennial.
Growing Conditions and Care
Yacon is surprisingly adaptable, but it does have some preferences:
- Climate: Best suited for USDA zones 8-11, though it can be grown as an annual in cooler areas
- Soil: Rich, moist, well-draining soil works best
- Light: Partial shade to full sun (appreciates some afternoon shade in hot climates)
- Space: Give it room—this plant spreads and grows tall
- Water: Consistent moisture throughout the growing season
Planting and Care Tips
Getting started with yacon is relatively straightforward:
- Plant from root divisions or small tubers in spring after the last frost
- Space plants about 3 feet apart to allow for their impressive size
- Keep soil consistently moist but not waterlogged
- Harvest tubers after the first frost kills the above-ground growth
- In colder zones, dig up and store tubers indoors over winter like dahlias
Best Garden Situations for Yacon
Yacon shines in specific garden settings:
- Vegetable gardens: As an unusual edible addition
- Permaculture gardens: As a productive landscape plant
- Subtropical gardens: For year-round tropical appeal
- Background plantings: To create height and screening
- Experimental gardens: For adventurous gardeners trying something new
The Bottom Line
Yacon is definitely not for every garden or every gardener. It’s large, requires specific conditions, and won’t support native wildlife the way indigenous plants do. However, if you’re looking for something unique that combines ornamental appeal with edible rewards, and you have the space and climate for it, yacon might be worth a try.
Just remember: while it’s perfectly fine to grow non-native plants like yacon for food or novelty, consider balancing your landscape with native species that truly support your local ecosystem. Your garden—and local wildlife—will thank you for the variety.
