Anyone ever grow them in your gardens? Are they easy to grow, difficult, attract bugs, or take up lots of room? It was my understanding that they have large root structures, so they might suck up space in the dirt.
Depending upon your climate they can be invasive. In addition they're really hard to get rid of. Another thought on them is that in most people they cause terrible flatulence and painful abdominal gas. You want some roots? Come by the house and dig them up, been trying to root the !@#$% things out for about ten years now.
George
Yeah, I've heard that too (in Annapolis, Maryland).
They're tall (7 feet or so), so you need a space where height is not a problem.
I'm thinking of growing some anyway. If I do, time will tell whether I regret it.
Well, if you just want to see what they're like, they aren't that hard to find in a grocery store or natural food store. They are often sold under the name "sunchoke" these days.
They have nice flowers. Moles or voles here took out our sunchokes . I used to eat them raw in salads or by hand. Sweet.
Bill
They're sunflowers, and easy to grow. So easy I'd suggest you treat them like mint or lily of the valley and find them a very controlled spot to grow in.
Sorry, I've got enough of my own problems, don't need to be taking on someone else's :) Well, since I'm about to get flooded with catnip, I might as well toss some Sunchokes in there, turn my backyard into an invasive species habitat - feral cats, catnip, sunchokes, strawberries, bermuda grass, birch, I even have a new blackberry bush growing on the fenceline.
Don't think of it as invasive plants, think of it as wildlife habitat. Apply for a large gubmint grant to improve the habitat and protect the two-toed newt or something.
George
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