Yacon – Earth Apple
Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius)
SO easy to grow – this delicious root crop is edible landscaping at its finest. Produces numerous crisp tubers similar to jicama but with a sweeter, tastier, apple/pear-like flavour & each one can weigh up to 2kg.
In Summer it produces a up to 2m tall flower stalks topped with a loose cluster of yellow sunfloweresque blooms. Once flowering has ended and the leaves begin to wilt, cut it back and harvest your tasty treasures!
Eating the tubers supposedly provides many health benefits - weight loss, controlling insulin levels, aiding in digestion and it’s high in antioxidants. More than anything, though, it’s just plain yummy in salad or eating raw. Try growing in a large container for easy harvest. Re-plant the rhizomes to start anew for next year.
Plant Care
- Soil: Prefers well-drained, high organic matter soil with a pH between 5.5 and 7.0.
- Watering: Water regularly to maintain moist soil, especially during dry periods.
- Temperature: Thrives in cooler climates but tolerates up to 25°C.
- Light: Full sun to partial shade.
- Fertilising: Use a low-nitrogen, high-potassium and phosphorus fertilizer like 5-10-10 every three months during active growth.
- Pruning: Not typically required except to remove old, spent foliage.
- Mulching: Mulch to maintain soil moisture and suppress weeds.
- Pest Control: Watch for slugs and root rot in overly wet conditions.
- Flowering and Fruiting: Flowers in late summer, but the tubers are the primary harvest, collected in the fall.
- Potting: Can be grown in containers, but large ones are needed to accommodate the root system.
- Feeding Regime: Focus on potassium and phosphorus to support tuber formation.
We ship our plants and garden supplies throughout New Zealand. Due to the increased costs of shipping and packaging, we now apply a minimal delivery charge. After offering free shipping for three consecutive years, we find it necessary to adjust this policy to align with current market conditions. However, we have lowered our prices to help offset this change.
Please note, we do not ship plants or garden supplies internationally from New Zealand. We do export plants and tissue culture materials from our overseas nursery, which requires a minimum order. Please contact us at hello@exoticanz.com to discuss your specific requirements.
Shipping (per plant)
Auckland & Northland: $20
Rest of North Island: $25
South Island: $35
Rural Address: Additional $5
Shipping Garden Supplies
Auckland & Northland: $10
Rest of North Island: $15
South Island: $20
Rural Address: Additional $5
Delivery
- Our plants are available for shipment throughout the year, depending on stock levels. Typical delivery times range from 5 to 7 business days, although they can take up to 10 business days depending on the destination.
- We take extra care in packaging; most of our plants are secured in bespoke inserts and shipped in individual boxes to ensure they arrive undamaged.
- Deliveries are scheduled once a week, typically on Monday. If you place your order over the weekend, we aim to dispatch your plants on the following Monday. This scheduling allows our team to prepare your order thoroughly and ensures the courier has sufficient time to deliver your plants safely, avoiding any unnecessary delays over the weekend.
- All orders are shipped via courier track and trace service (not signature required)
- We cannot deliver to PO Box addresses.
- If you have a rural address, please contact us beforehand to discuss the best delivery options and avoid any potential issues.
Additional Delivery Information
- We dispatch our plants year-round, as most are shipped with soil. During the winter months, we closely monitor weather conditions and may temporarily delay shipments if the weather is particularly severe. Our packing process includes adding insulation when necessary to protect the plants against temperature extremes.
- In summer, we ensure that plants are thoroughly watered before they leave our nursery. Occasionally, we may need to ship plants bare-rooted, particularly when they cannot be comfortably re-potted into smaller packaging for shipping. We will always discuss this with you in advance if your plant needs to be shipped in this manner.
- It's important to note that shipping can be a stressful experience for plants, often due to spending several days in a dark, confined space. While most plants withstand this with little to no stress, some may experience leaf drop. However, they generally recover quickly with some additional care, including proper watering and gradual reintroduction to light after arrival.
