Artichoke, Jerusalem

Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Best with consistent moisture, but has some tolerance for drought. Plants generally tolerate a wide variety of soils as long as drainage is good. Plant tubers in the garden after last spring frost date or in fall after first frost has occurred. Best to site plants in locations sheltered from strong winds. Removal of browned and tattered seed heads, foliage and plant stalks from the garden after bloom may improve the appearance of the landscape, but may simultaneously disappoint local song bird populations (particularly finches) which love to feed on the seeds. If the plants must be cut down, consider saving the seed heads for feeding the birds in winter. Plants will spread in the garden, sometimes invasively, by rhizomes and self-seeding to form colonies. Once planted in garden areas, they are difficult to remove from the garden. Tiny pieces of tuber left in the soils will sprout. Plants are best sited in areas where spread into other valuable plantings will not occur. When spring plants reach about 1’ tall, mulch may be applied for purposes of helping retain soil moisture.