Sunchokes and
Community
Helianthus tuberosus
In late summer, sunchokes create a beautiful display of yellow daisy-like flowers on tall, multi-branched stems. They are sometimes called Jerusalem artichokes because people identified the flavor of the edible root, or tuber, as similar to an artichoke, but the two plants are not related.
The tubers are long, bumpy, and oddly shaped with a mildly sweet flavor. They can be dug up and eaten in the fall and early spring. The tubers also make a great addition to salads and stir-fries, where they can take the place of water chestnuts. They are a good source of B vitamins, potassium, and iron, but moderation is recommended when eating them. The tubers are high in inulin, a substance that can cause gastric distress in some individuals.
The tubers are quick to multiply and will spread out to create a dense community of tubers and flowers. In Pennsylvania, I grew my sunchokes in an old bathtub sunk into the ground and that worked well to contain them. Each year I would harvest a generous amount of tubers and they would quickly regenerate. In my Denver landscape, the sunchokes are in a part of the yard that does not get regular watering. They have proven they are xeric, continuing to spread out without much water or maintenance.
Sunchokes’ correspondence is community. They resonate with community in more ways than by simply creating lots of plants. My daughter, who spent many years as a community gardener in Montana, noted that sunchokes are often popular in community garden plots. (They probably escaped from one plot and gardeners embraced them as an easy-to-grow edible.)
Because of their wild nature and ability to grow quickly, sunchokes have supported communities through difficult times. During World War II, French citizens depended on sunchokes as a source of nutrition that kept people and communities alive.28
As you hold the concept of community in your awareness this week, first notice the communities in your gardens and green world. Plants support each other in a variety of ways, from sharing nutrients to providing shade or mulch. Next, pay attention to how healthy human communities maintain themselves. We don’t have the capability to quickly create new members as sunchokes do, but there are many things we can do to nurture community. As an example, within community gardens, a lot of thought is given to maintaining and growing relationships. There are rules of engagement so everyone understands expected behaviors, and there are opportunities to enrich relationships through potlucks and other events.
Also pay attention to your communities of choice and your communities of happenstance. Communities of choice include your friendship circles and may include your neighborhood or work group. Communities of happenstance are those you’ve ended up in without planning or intent. These accidental communities may be happy surprises or groups that challenge you in some way. For the first time in human history, we can now participate in virtual communities, gathering with people across the planet in online groups.
As you consider these various communities, notice that they have both benefits and deficits. While mindfully exploring the intricacies of communities, bring the advantages and challenges into conscious awareness. You might want to explore how to navigate the challenges in a positive way and how you can expand on the benefits.
Morning Attunement Questions
• What connections do I have with sunchokes and community?
• Where else in the green world or in my life do I observe community?
• What does community feel like?
• How can I describe this energetic attribute of community in words or pictures?
• Where does this correspondence of community resonate most strongly in or around my body or in my life?
Daily Integration Questions
• In what ways is the world reflecting sunchokes or community back
to me?
• What nuances and shades of meaning do I notice about sunchokes
and community?
Evening Reflection Questions
• Where and how did I experience sunchokes or community?
• How did I embrace community today?
• What wisdom does the sunchoke’s correspondence of community bring to my life?
28. Bloch-Dano, Vegetables, 40–41.