Yacon Plant

The yacon plant brings an ancient Andean food crop into Australian gardens. As a result, it offers generous harvests of crisp, naturally sweet underground tubers.

The accepted botanical name is Smallanthus sonchifolius, a perennial member of the daisy family, Asteraceae. It develops broad leaves, sturdy stems, and small, sunflower-like flowers. Above-ground growth can reach about two metres tall.

Common names include Yacon, Yacón, Peruvian Ground Apple, Earth Apple, Ground Apple, Ground Pear, Bolivian Sunroot, Yacon Strawberry, Strawberry Jicama, Potato Bean, Sweet-root, Aricoma, Aricuma, Aricona, Jicama, Chicama, Shicama, Llacón and Llakuma. In other regions, these alternative names reflect the plant’s cultural importance.

Below ground, the plant forms two distinct structures. Knobbly crowns provide new growing points, while larger storage tubers provide the edible harvest. Their pale flesh offers a juicy crunch and mild sweetness, often compared with apple, pear or watermelon.

This vigorous vegetable suits most Australian growing regions. For best growth, choose a sunny spot with fertile, well-drained soil, and water regularly during active growth. Additionally, shelter the tall stems from strong winds and allow ample room for the clump to expand.

Plant after frost risk passes in cool districts. When temperatures cool, the foliage dies back, signalling that harvest time is approaching. Therefore, lift the clump carefully to avoid snapping the brittle tubers.

Save several healthy crown pieces for replanting. Next, store them somewhere cool and frost-protected until conditions favour fresh growth. Moreover, gardeners who enjoy productive underground crops could also explore our Arrowroot Plant.

Andean communities have cultivated Yacon for centuries across western South America. In fact, its unusual sweetness set it apart from starchier root crops and helped sustain its cultivation.

Eat freshly harvested tubers raw, grated into salads or sliced for a refreshing snack. Alternatively, you can roast, bake, stir-fry, juice, or gently cook them into preserves. After harvesting, let tubers rest briefly in indirect light to enhance their sweetness.

The Yacon Plant combines dramatic garden presence, straightforward cultivation and a versatile edible crop. As a result, it offers adventurous gardeners something genuinely different from an ordinary backyard vegetable.