This sunchoke has a beautiful presentation; multicolored pink and yellow with striping around the tuber. These are small to medium in size and round or cone-shaped. They have a strong, earthy flavor and are not very sweet. It is a species type called Helianthus strumosus or Pale Leaf Woodland Sunflower and possibly Blue Eye is a hybrid of it.
It is a tall upright grower to 6 feet. Like the other sunchokes, it's packed with Vitamins C, A and E. We have seen this species type throughout southwest Michigan and it appears often on the edges of roads. Blue Eye is a selection of this species with good tuber production and a dark purple eye in the flower. Definitely a good wild selection even if using for white tail deer browse or a pollinator plant.
(Ships dormant in spring and fall from Oct. to Dec. and again March to May.)
| Plant Specs |
| Genus & Species |
Helianthus strumosus |
| Hardiness |
-30 F |
| Height (ft) |
8 |
| Width (ft) |
1-2 |
| Climate |
Zone 3-9 |
| Ease of Cultivation |
This species grows straight and is ideal for areas where it is likely to get consumed by deer. The tubers are useful but have a strong flavor and will need either fermentation or lemon juice to process them in full. This is a durable species and is likely to tolerate drought better than other sunchokes. |
