🥕 Yacon
Smallanthus sonchifolius
vegetables perennial herbaceous (grown for tuberous roots)
☀️ Sun
full sun to partial shade
💧 Water
moderate to high
🗺️ Zones
8, 11 (zones 7 with mulch)
🪴 Soil Type
well-draining, fertile, loose
🧪 Soil pH
6.0-7.0
💧 Drainage
Well-drained
📏 Spacing
24-36 in. apart, 36-48 in. between rows (large plants, 4-6 ft tall)
📅 Days to Maturity
180-200 days (from planting); harvest after first frost kills foliage for sweetest roots
🍴 Edible Parts
🍽️ ["Eaten raw like fruit🍽️ salads🍽️ juice🍽️ syrup production (low-glycemic sweetener)"]
🤝 Companions (5)
🤝 corn
Yacon's tall foliage and corn grow well together — yacon provides wind protection for corn while corn's deep roots and yacon's tubers occupy different soil layers.
🤝 sunflowers
Sunflowers and yacon both grow tall with complementary root systems — sunflowers bring up deep minerals while yacon produces sweet tubers in the upper soil layers.
🤝 beans
Beans fix nitrogen that fuels yacon's vigorous leaf and tuber growth; beans climb yacon's sturdy stalks, making efficient use of vertical space.
Amaranth and yacon are both tall, productive plants with complementary nutrient needs — yacon's large leaves shade out weeds between amaranth plants.
Nasturtium acts as a trap crop for aphids, protecting yacon; its low-spreading habit covers soil beneath yacon's tall stalks, suppressing weeds and retaining moisture.
⚠️ Keep Apart (1)
⚠️ plants needing full sun beneath its canopy
Growth inhibition or competition
💊 Medicinal Uses
Contains fructooligosaccharides (FOS, prebiotic inulin-type) that feed beneficial gut bacteria but are not digested as calories. Traditional Andean remedy for diabetes and digestive health. Research supports blood sugar-lowering and weight management effects. High in antioxidants (chlorogenic acid). Leaves used as hypoglycemic tea.
📝 Notes
Tall (6-8 ft) daisy family plant with large leaves providing shade for understory crops. Produces sweet, crisp tubers. Related to Jerusalem artichoke. Frost-sensitive but tubers store well.