Sunchoke, Red Rover
Hellonthus tuberosa

Fast-growing, up to 12 feet tall, and spreads by long rhizomes. The smooth red tubers have no knobs, making them easy to clean. Tubers are about an inch in diameter and up to 6 inches long. The raw tuber has a crisp texture like water chestnuts. When cooked, it is a soft, nutty-flavored alternative to potatoes. Like other sunchokes, it typically yields large numbers of volunteer plants since a garden or field contains so many tubers it is difficult to harvest them all. Unlike most starchy tubers, sunchokes store their carbohydrate in a form that is safe for diabetics to consume. Also known as Jerusalem Artichokes, sunchokes favor fertile sandy loams and well-drained river-bottom soils.
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