2023 Preorders ship late Fall, 2023. Back by popular demand for those planning ahead of the winter rush. Get them while they last!
Sunflower relative indigenous to North America that produces an edible, potato-like tuber highly prized by chefs worldwide.
This true dwarf variety is by far the shortest on our mid-Michigan farm. 1-2 ft. tall plants have few-to-no branches and are covered by thick, dark green leaves. Planted en-masse, they serve as an excellent groundcover that -- unlike many other groundcovers -- barely spreads AND produces an edible crop. Bright purplish-pink tubers are medium-sized (larger than some tall varieties) and grow close to the stem, where they are easy to harvest. We haven't seen "Dwarf" bloom on our farm, but love it for all of these other reasons and plant it everywhere there would otherwise be "dead space" in full sun. Breeders at the right latitudes (sunchokes are daylight sensitive) may find it a valuable addition to your collections.
This variety was bred in the Netherlands by SVP Wirrsum in the 1980's. We purchased our initial stock from plant breeder William Whitson of Moclips, Washington.
You may also like "Early Dwarf Sunray" and "Manitoba." Only 1/12 the height of many varieties we offer and 1/2 to 1/3 the height of "Early Dwarf Sunray." Similar in height to "Manitoba" or "Waldspinel," but with thicker, lusher foliage and stockier tubers.
IMPORTANT:
Timing and climate matter. Sunchoke tubers sprout best after an extended period of moist cold storage. Sunchokes are resilient! But without this cold period, we have found that tubers we purchased from other farms in warm, dry climates never sprouted on our farm (USDA Zone 5b). We have cold winters and -- while this means our seed tuber inventory is sometimes frozen in the ground during peak availability -- it also means your sunchokes are ready to go come spring!
Customers from Northern climates with cold winters should plant tubers in-ground as soon as possible this fall and overwinter them for Spring 2024 growth.
Live in a warm-winter climate? Consider 1. refrigerating the tubers in moist (not wet) peat moss or sand for several months and checking often for signs of developing dehydration (add water) or mold (rinse, dry, and repackage) or 2. purchasing in late 2023/early 2024 (while supplies last).