Jerusalem Artichoke
Helianthus tuberosus
Found in native in rich bottomlands and along streams, disturbed areas, cultivated in gardens for the edible tubers. FloraQuest, phone app (app page) What its natural habitat tells you
—
Not native
Not native to Florida. How scores work Is it native here?
Profile 76%
- Height
- 6–10 feet
- Spread
- 3–5 feet
- Light
- Full sun, Partial shade
- Soil moisture
- Dry to average
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At a glance
- Life cycle
- Perennial
- Leaves
- Deciduous
- Bloom
- July to October
- Fruiting season
- Summer to fall
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Recorded in 6 Florida counties.
Natural habitats
Places it grows wild. Not a planting requirement. Each habitat page lists the plants and wildlife also found there.
1 of 3
Streams, rivers and their banks
Flowing water and its banks, bars and rocky shoals.
Floodplain and bottomland forests
Forests on low ground beside rivers and streams that flood from time to time.
Roadsides, fields and disturbed ground
Ground opened by people: roadsides, old fields, pastures, fencerows and lots.
Ecological relationships
Who uses this plant?
66CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including FL
Genus host records with ranges including FL · Helianthus
- Chlosyne nycteisSilvery Checkerspot
- Acharia stimuleaSaddleback Caterpillar Moth
- Achyra rantalisGarden Webworm Moth
- Adaina ambrosiaeAmbrosia Plume Moth, Ragweed Plume Moth
- Agrotis ipsilonIpsilon Dart, Black Cutworm, Greasy Cutworm
- Amyna strictaEight-Spot Moth
- Chloridea virescensTobacco Budworm Moth
- Chlorochlamys chloroleucariaBlackberry Looper Moth
- Choristoneura rosaceanaOblique-Banded Leafroller Moth, Rosaceous Leaf Roller
- Chrysodeixis includensSoybean Looper Moth
Show all 66
- Condica sutorThe Cobbler, Cobbler Groundling
- Dichomeris flavocostellaCream-Edged Dichomeris
- Dichomeris inserrataIndented Dichomeris
- Dichomeris juncidellaOrange-Dotted Dichomeris
- Elophila obliteralisWaterlily Leafcutter Moth
- Estigmene acreaSalt Marsh Moth, Acrea Moth
- Eupithecia miserulataCommon Eupithacia, Common Pug
- Euplexia benesimilisAmerican Angle Shades
- Euxoa auxiliarisArmy Cut-Worm, Army Cutworm
- Feltia jaculiferaDingy Cutworm
- Feltia repletaReplete Dart
- Helicoverpa zeaCorn Earworm Moth
- Herpetogramma pertextalisBold-Feathered Grass Moth
- Homoeosoma electellaSunflower Moth
- Hypercompe scriboniaGiant Leopard Moth, Great Leopard Moth
- Hyphantria cuneaFall Webworm
- Manduca rusticaRustic Sphinx
- Megalographa bilobaBilobed Looper Moth
- Mythimna unipunctaArmyworm Moth, White Speck
- Nomophila nearcticaLucerne Moth, American Celery Webworm
- Oedemasia leptinoidesBlack-Blotched Schizura
- Ogdoconta cinereolaCommon Pinkband Groundling
- Orgyia leucostigmaWhite-Marked Tussock Moth
- Papaipema cataphractaBurdock Border, Potato-Stalk Borer
- Papaipema maritimaMaritime Sunflower Borer
- Phtheochroa birdanaBird's Cochylid
- Phyciodes tharosPearl Crescent, Crescentspot
- Plagiomimicus spumosumFrothy Moth
- Platynota flavedanaBlack-Shaded Platynota
- Pleuroprucha insulsariaCommon Tan Wave
- Ponometia semiflavaHalf-Yellow Bird-Dropping Moth, Half-Yellow Moth
- Pyrrharctia isabellaIsabella Tiger Moth, Banded Woolybear
- Rachiplusia ouGray Looper
- Sparganothis sulfureanaSparganothis Fruitworm Moth, Sulfur Leafroller, False Yellow-Head
- Spilosoma virginicaVirginian Tiger Moth, Yellow Woolybear Moth, Yellow Bear
- Spodoptera eridaniaSouthern Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera frugiperdaFall Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera latifasciaOrange-Striped Armyworm, Velvet Armyworm Moth
- Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
- Spoladea recurvalisHawaiian Beet Webworm
- Stiria rugifronsSunflower Seedcropper, Yellow Sunflower Moth
- Suleima helianthanaSunflower Bud Moth
- Synchlora frondariaSouthern Emerald
- Thyridopteryx ephemeraeformisEvergreen Bagworm Moth
- Trichoplusia niNi Moth, Cabbage Looper Moth
- Vanessa carduiPainted Lady, Cosmopolite
- Vanessa virginiensisAmerican Lady, American Painted Lady
- Xestia dolosaGreater Black-Letter Dart, Greater Spotted Cutworm
- Bucculatrix fusicola
- Bucculatrix magnella
- Bucculatrix needhami
- Carmenta ithacae
- Dichomeris vindex
- Omiodes simialis
- Platphalonidia lavana
- Sitochroa dasconalis
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
44Specialist beesPollen specialists
Pollen specialists · Helianthus
- Andrena aliciae
- Andrena asteris
- Andrena braccata
- Andrena chromotricha
- Andrena haynesi
- Andrena simplex
- Colletes birkmanni
- Colletes compactus
- Colletes rufocinctus
- Colletes simulans
Show all 44
- Diadasia enavata
- Dianthidium curvatum
- Dieunomia heteropoda
- Dieunomia triangulifera
- Dufourea marginata
- Hesperapis carinata
- Megachile fortis
- Megachile inimica
- Megachile parallela
- Megachile pugnata
- Megachile xylocopoides
- Melissodes bidentis
- Melissodes coloradensis
- Melissodes coreopsis
- Melissodes denticulatus
- Melissodes dentiventris
- Melissodes desponsus
- Melissodes illatus
- Melissodes manipularis
- Melissodes subillatus
- Melissodes trinodis
- Melissodes wheeleri
- Paranthidium jugatorium
- Perdita albipennis
- Perdita bruneri
- Perdita heliophila
- Perdita laticincta
- Perdita pratti
- Perdita swenki
- Perdita tridentata
- Protandrena andrenoides
- Protandrena piercei
- Protandrena simulans
- Trachusa zebrata
36BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim
Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Helianthus
- Agelaius phoeniceusRed-winged Blackbird
- Alectoris chukarChukar
- Anthus rubescensAmerican Pipit
- Branta canadensisCanada Goose
- Calcarius lapponicusLapland Longspur
- Calcarius ornatusChestnut-collared Longspur
- Callipepla californicaCalifornia Quail
- Callipepla gambeliiGambel's Quail
- Colinus virginianusNorthern Bobwhite
- Columbina passerinaCommon Ground Dove
Show all 36
- Corvus brachyrhynchosAmerican Crow
- Corvus cryptoleucusChihuahuan Raven
- Dryobates pubescensDowny Woodpecker
- Euphagus cyanocephalusBrewer's Blackbird
- Haemorhous mexicanusHouse Finch
- Loxia leucopteraWhite-winged Crossbill
- Melanerpes erythrocephalusRed-headed Woodpecker
- Meleagris gallopavoWild Turkey
- Melospiza melodiaSong Sparrow
- Melozone crissalisCalifornia Towhee
- Molothrus aterBrown-headed Cowbird
- Oreortyx pictusMountain Quail
- Ortalis vetulaPlain Chachalaca
- Passer domesticusHouse Sparrow
- Perdix perdixGray Partridge
- Quiscalus quisculaCommon Grackle
- Rhynchophanes mccowniiMcCown's Longspur
- Sitta carolinensisWhite-breasted Nuthatch
- Spinus psaltriaLesser Goldfinch
- Spinus tristisAmerican Goldfinch
- Turdus migratoriusAmerican Robin
- Tympanuchus pallidicinctusLesser Prairie-Chicken
- Xanthocephalus xanthocephalusYellow-headed Blackbird
- Zenaida asiaticaWhite-winged Dove
- Zenaida macrouraMourning Dove
- Zonotrichia leucophrysWhite-crowned Sparrow
Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening
Growing and identification
Plant details
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Hardiness
- Zones 3a–9b
- Soil pH
- Neutral to alkaline
- Flower color
- Yellow
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Growth habit
- Spreads by rhizomes
- Foliage color
- Yellow-green
- Fruit begins
- Summer
- Fruit ends
- Fall
Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.
Growing sources and scope
- Bloom · “July to October” · FloraQuest: Carolinas, Georgia (Southeastern Flora Team), phone app (app page) (ranked first; USDA PLANTS differs) · Carolinas and Georgia
- Flower color · “Yellow” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Foliage color · “Yellow-green” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit begins · “Summer” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Fruit ends · “Fall” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth habit · “Spreads by rhizomes” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Growth rate · “Rapid” · USDA PLANTS · Nationwide species characteristics; local growing conditions may vary
- Hardiness · “Zones 3a–9b” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Height · “6–10 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; USDA PLANTS, Minnesota Wildflowers differ)
- Leaves · “Deciduous” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Life cycle · “Perennial” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Light · “Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day); Partial shade (direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards differs)
- primary_flower_color · “yellow” · USDA PLANTS
- Soil · “Occasionally dry” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox (ranked first; Tennessee Smart Yards differs)
- Soil pH · “Neutral to alkaline” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
- Spread · “3–5 feet” · NC Extension Plant Toolbox
Conservation status
| Florida rank | SNA |
|---|---|
| Global rank | G5 |
| FL status | Not verified |
| Federal status | Not verified |
Sources
- Atlas of Florida Plants
- USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe Explorer
- Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
- Noori, Seltmann & Orr 2026, A curated and integrated dataset for exploring global bee-plant interactions (GloBI), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Smith, Bachelder, Russell, Morales, Mosher & Seltmann 2024, Bee-Specialization-Modeling v0.6.1 (specialist host table compiled from J. Fowler's pollen specialist bee lists), Zenodo, CC BY 4.0
- Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)
- Narango, Tallamy & Shropshire 2020, Few keystone plant genera support the majority of Lepidoptera species, Nature Communications