Helianthus tuberosus

Jerusalem artichoke

Description

Jerusalem artichoke is a perennial plant with underground tubers and a powerful root system. In scorched individuals, the tubers have a spindle-shaped shape. The height of the plants reaches up to 300 cm. The stems are mostly straight, coarsely hairy, branched in the upper part. The leaves are alternate, ovate, serrate on the edge, whitish downy on the reverse side, 10–20 cm long, 5–10 cm wide. The clothes have a diameter of 15–20 cm, yellow in color. It blooms from August to the beginning of November. The fruit is an acorn, the seeds do not ripen here. It reproduces generatively by tubers, which grow relatively quickly and suppress the original vegetation, most prominently in relatively closed areas. The tubers have an elongated, irregular shape with bumps on which there are vegetation eyes. They are formed in late summer and autumn. It is an undemanding plant, ecologically very plastic. In dry periods, thanks to its massive root system, it draws water from deeper layers. It tolerates frost up to -30 °C. The original site is in North America. Currently widespread almost all over the world. It inhabits arable land, around watercourses, ruderal areas…

Symptom

They reach a height of around 3 meters and create impenetrable thickets. They spread mainly vegetatively - by rhizomes that overgrow the soil in several layers below each other.

Tree Species: Different tree species

Part of a plant- attacked: Roots

Pest significance: Harmful

Pest Category: Other, Invasive plants

Invasive Species: Yes

Present in EU: Yes