Native to North America, the Jerusalem artichoke ( Helianthus tuberosus ) first became a staple food for Indigenous peoples before being introduced to European gardens. The 'White Ordinary' variety, with its pale tubers, perpetuates this long-standing presence in our gardens.

In the garden, it forms tall, upright stems with ample green foliage, reminiscent of a small field of wild sunflowers. In late summer, its yellow flowers brighten the corner of the vegetable garden and attract a host of pollinators. Beneath this airy presence lies a veritable reservoir of life: fleshy, irregular tubers, harvested in autumn and early winter, which contribute to the garden's cycle by nourishing both the soil and the table.

It is a reliable, hardy plant that returns year after year where the soil is welcoming. It naturally finds its place in a harmonious garden, in the background of cultivated beds, like a living, edible hedge that one learns to guide rather than completely control.