Jerusalem artichoke
Helianthus tuberosus · Asteraceae
Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Asteraceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 2 and warmer, down to about -43°F.
At a glance
| Type | forb-herb USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Mature height | 9.8 ft USDA |
| Light | part-shade USDA |
| Water need | low USDA |
| Growth rate | rapid USDA |
| Soil pH | 4–7 USDA |
| Bloom | August–September USDA |
| Flower color | Yellow USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 2 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | understory Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It grows in partial shade. USDA rates it as having low water needs once established. Its drought tolerance is rated high. It will not tolerate waterlogged soil — USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance as none. It is recorded on soils from pH 4 to 7 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 2.
Size and growth
At maturity it reaches about 9.8 ft, making it a plant that will finish above head height. It grows quickly.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of August through September. Flowers are yellow.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is yellow-green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. It carries conspicuous autumn colour. Its active growth period is spring and summer. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
USDA records it across sites receiving 15 to 55 inches of annual precipitation. The low end of that band is genuinely arid, so it has a wide tolerance for dry country. It needs at least 100 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 6 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Propagate it from seed and tubers. USDA records no cold-stratification requirement, so seed should germinate without a chilling period. Its seed spreads at a moderate rate. It spreads vegetatively at a rapid rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it highly palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated medium. Its growth form is recorded as rhizomatous.
Role in a guild
Understory. In a layered planting this is the layer beneath the canopy, tall enough to hold structure but shaded from above. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Others in Helianthus
- swamp sunflower Helianthus angustifolius
- common sunflower Helianthus annuus
- cucumberleaf sunflower Helianthus debilis
- sawtooth sunflower Helianthus grosseserratus
Similar role and hardiness
- Rocky Mountain maple Acer glabrum
- netleaf hackberry Celtis laevigata
- Arnold hawthorn Crataegus ×anomala
- Japanese flowering crab apple Malus floribunda
- chokecherry Prunus virginiana
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol HETU, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, Edible, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage porosity winter, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Mature height, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, precipitation max in, precipitation min in, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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