Purple Sunchoke (Helianthus tuberosus)

The American Groundnut is a standout plant for food forests and permaculture systems due to its multiple functions. Its nitrogen-fixing ability enriches the soil, supporting companion plants and enhancing biodiversity. As a perennial, it offers long-term yields of nutrient-dense tubers without the need for replanting. Its vining habit maximizes vertical space, allowing it to integrate harmoniously with other layers in a food forest. Additionally, its adaptability to moist soils and shade makes it a resilient choice for ecological restoration projects and edge habitats. Whether for sustenance, soil health, or aesthetic appeal, the American Groundnut is a highly valuable plant

American Groundnut grows as a twining vine, quickly covering structures like trellises or fences. In spring, its compound green leaves emerge, creating a lush, dense canopy. By late summer, it produces clusters of fragrant purplish-brown flowers, followed by bean pods. Underground, its tubers grow in chains, increasing in size and number each year. The plant dies back in winter, regrowing robustly from its tubers the following spring.

Size at Maturity- 6–10 ft tall, 2–4 ft wide (patches expand naturally over time)

Current Size- 3 Tubers. Enough to start a small patch that you can expand over a few years.

A purple-skinned selection of North America’s native perennial sunchoke. Tubers store in the ground through winter and can be harvested fall through early spring. Naturally rich in inulin, making it lower in digestible carbohydrates than potatoes.