{"product_id":"smallanthus-sonchifolius-bleu","title":"Smallanthus sonchifolius 'Bleu'","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEdible crop.\u003c\/strong\u003e Sold here as a food plant grown for its harvest of yacon tubers, not as an ornamental.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSmallanthus sonchifolius 'Bleu'\u003c\/strong\u003e is \u003cstrong\u003eyacon\u003c\/strong\u003e, the Inca's sweet root: a towering, velvet-leaved perennial that spends summer looking like a jungle sunflower and finishes autumn by handing you kilos of crisp, juicy tubers that eat like a pear crossed with a water chestnut. 'Bleu' is a vigorous, purple-tinged strain prized by growers.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is the easiest genuinely exotic vegetable in Britain: grow it like a dahlia you can eat. Plant after frost in rich soil, water well while the 1.5 to 2 m canopy builds, then harvest once the first frost blackens the tops. The crown overwinters under a deep mulch in mild gardens or lifts and stores like dahlia tubers anywhere colder.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eHow and where to grow\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePosition:\u003c\/strong\u003e full sun to light shade, sheltered from gales.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e deep, rich and moisture-retentive; feed generously.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.5-2 m of foliage in a season.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness:\u003c\/strong\u003e tops frost off; crowns take about -5C mulched, or lift and store.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\u003cp\u003eIts felted, arrow-shaped leaves bulk out an \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/exotic-border-plants\"\u003eexotic border\u003c\/a\u003e as convincingly as any tender foliage plant, with small yellow daisies as an autumn sign-off, and it makes the perfect productive companion to the \u003ca href=\"\/products\/feijoa-sellowiana\"\u003efeijoa\u003c\/a\u003e and \u003ca href=\"\/products\/psidium-cattleyanum\"\u003estrawberry guava\u003c\/a\u003e on our edible exotics shelf within \u003ca href=\"\/collections\/hardy-exotics\"\u003ehardy exotics\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eStrong nursery-grown plants. Winter handling in our \u003ca href=\"\/pages\/hardy-exotics-what-to-expect\"\u003eseasonal expectations guide\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"GROW TROPICALS","offers":[{"title":"17cm \/ 2L","offer_id":58370018214271,"sku":"SMALSONC17","price":15.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0361\/9645\/0348\/files\/yacon.jpg?v=1789653312","url":"https:\/\/growtropicals.com\/products\/smallanthus-sonchifolius-bleu","provider":"GrowTropicals","version":"1.0","type":"link"}