Wednesday, June 22, 2011

J/ Alphabe-Thursday

JERUSALEM artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus)

Native to North America, the JERUSALEM artichoke is a species of sunflower that grows wild in East Gwillimbury...and, unfortunately, in my back garden. Yes, the blossoms are pretty but the plants are monsters that want to take over at an astonishing speed. They are very tall (up to 3 metres or 10 feet), gangly and tend to flop over in the wind. But they have at least one redeeming quality: the tubers have a nutty flavour and can be eaten - cooked like potatoes or raw sliced thin and eaten in salads.

FYI: the name JERUSALEM has nothing to do with the city in Israel but is a corruption of the Italian word for sunflower, girasole.

Monarch and bee on JERUSALEM artichoke

I am linking to Jenny Matlock at Alphabe-Thursday HERE

at

39 comments:

  1. Judy June 22, 2011 at 12:21 PM

    Pretty, pretty...I love that butterfly shot.

    ReplyDelete
  2. TexWisGirlJune 22, 2011 at 12:24 PM

    yours look different than the type i have growing at my pond. but the height is the same! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. MichelleJune 22, 2011 at 12:51 PM

    A great butterfly shot.

    ReplyDelete
  4. cieldequimperJune 22, 2011 at 1:20 PM

    Pretty, pretty and delicious. I really like them!

    ReplyDelete
  5. RedPatJune 22, 2011 at 1:27 PM

    I don't think that I have ever seen one before and certainly haven't tasted one! Lovely butterfly shot.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Cezar and LéiaJune 22, 2011 at 2:04 PM

    Wow, the butterfly is a beauty and contributes a great colour contrast!
    God bless you!
    Cezar

    ReplyDelete
  7. HalcyonJune 22, 2011 at 2:23 PM

    Beautiful flowers and beautiful visitors. Just lovely!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. VPJune 22, 2011 at 2:39 PM

    Both pictures are pleasure for the eye!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Leeds daily photoJune 22, 2011 at 2:44 PM

    Whilst I have heard of this plant always thought it was just some kind of vegetable not a pretty flower. Nice capture with the monarch and the bee. Paul at

    ReplyDelete
  10. Tina´s PicStoryJune 22, 2011 at 3:22 PM

    My sign is no reflection.
    It´s standing like this. It´s funny like you can only pass if you are laying (liegen).
    Your flowers are very beautiful - perfect for this weeks PicStory theme: Flowers! So if you like join us. :) LG Tina

    ReplyDelete
  11. Elisa N ViajesJune 22, 2011 at 4:45 PM

    It´so so wonderful!
    Have a nice day:)

    ReplyDelete
  12. LolaJune 22, 2011 at 5:45 PM

    Great post!

    XOXO Lola:)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Rocky Mountain WomanJune 22, 2011 at 5:59 PM

    What a beautiful capture!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. kayerjJune 22, 2011 at 6:21 PM

    beautiful picture and that's interesting about the name. do you dig the roots and use them?

    ReplyDelete
  15. SandyJune 22, 2011 at 6:26 PM

    Your photos are just perfect and the butterfly is especially nice... I've never tasted one of these but I'd give it a try....
    Nice post
    Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  16. JanieJune 22, 2011 at 7:00 PM

    What a beautiful plant, and surprisingly tall!
    Beautiful photo of the butterfly.

    ReplyDelete
  17. ellen b.June 22, 2011 at 7:50 PM

    That's great info about the Jerusalem artichoke. A strange name all the way around. I thought I'd see something to eat :0)

    ReplyDelete
  18. UnknownJune 22, 2011 at 7:59 PM

    Very interesting :) Such a pretty flower! I think it's interesting that you can eat them.

    ReplyDelete
  19. JennyJune 22, 2011 at 7:59 PM

    I've heard of these but never seen a picture. They remind me so much of sunflowers...just so happy and sunny.

    Our garden is always invaded by regular sunflowers which I pull out with wild abandon. Too bad you can't eat the roots of them as well.

    Thanks for an interesting link this week.

    This was Just so enjoyable.

    A+

    ReplyDelete
  20. mrs. cJune 22, 2011 at 8:22 PM

    My favorite photo is the last one with the Monarch butterfly. YOu take lovely photos. You are right, the silver plated stuff goes really cheap, so folks thought I was painting sterling silver, no way! Thanks for reading my post.

    ReplyDelete
  21. EG CameraGirlJune 22, 2011 at 8:52 PM

    Kaye,
    They are best in autumn after a frost. I like them sliced in salads.

    ReplyDelete
  22. ~✽Mumsy✽~June 22, 2011 at 9:01 PM

    They are so pretty though! The bee and the butterfly seem to enjoy them! Learning something new today!

    ReplyDelete
  23. Personalized Sketches and SentimentsJune 22, 2011 at 9:11 PM

    Beautiful blooms and butterfly photos!
    Thanks for sharing this one...I love to learn how things are named and it was neat to hear about their edible tubers!

    Blessings & Aloha!
    It is so neat to see how similar things are to children all over the world, such as games like Rock, paper, scissors :o) Thank you for coming by!

    ReplyDelete
  24. BettyJune 22, 2011 at 9:25 PM

    I don't believe I've ever heard of these before. Beautiful pictures.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Leif HagenJune 22, 2011 at 9:36 PM

    The second photo with the monarch butterfly is a real work of art! Lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  26. ShammickiteJune 22, 2011 at 9:53 PM

    So do you dig the tubers up and cook them after weeding the garden?

    ReplyDelete
  27. JudieJune 22, 2011 at 10:14 PM

    I have heard that the tubers are good to eat. So tell us--have you ever cooked and eaten any? Your photos are wonderful!!

    ReplyDelete
  28. MichelleJune 22, 2011 at 10:17 PM

    Beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  29. KathyJune 22, 2011 at 10:20 PM

    Well, they're certainly a pretty backdrop for bees and butterflies!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Esther JoyJune 22, 2011 at 11:01 PM

    I've got a little crop of these growing, but haven't harvested any of them yet. Is there a particular time of the year that you dig them up if you want to eat them?

    ReplyDelete
  31. AnonymousJune 22, 2011 at 11:10 PM

    I have heard of this type of artichoke before, but I am not sure I have ever seen one before. Wonderful pictures!

    ReplyDelete
  32. UnknownJune 23, 2011 at 12:57 AM

    It is beautiful but if it spreads everywhere it is not good.
    Beautiful with the butterfly.

    ReplyDelete
  33. AmandaJune 23, 2011 at 6:14 AM

    That second shot is amazing, maybe you could enter it in a contest!

    ReplyDelete
  34. UnknownJune 23, 2011 at 6:35 AM

    Equisite photos, EG!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Dazee DreamerJune 23, 2011 at 1:28 PM

    so beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  36. CarolineJune 23, 2011 at 8:01 PM

    Gorgeous photos!!! That's so interesting. I don't even think I have those flowers here. Maybe but not so sure. We definitly have the cucumbers coming off and squash, too. We took a chance and planted early here. The end of March!!! Now I've got an early harvest coming off. LOL Thanks for stopping by Acorn Hollow.

    ReplyDelete
  37. RNSANEJune 23, 2011 at 9:19 PM

    What spectacular photographs. If Jerusalem artichokes attract Monarch butterflies, I guess I might have to let them have a spot in my garden...if there were some way to control their spread!

    My Alphabe Thursday is at:

    http://rnsane.blogspot.com/2011/06/alphabe-thursday-j-is-for-jasmine-june.html

    ReplyDelete
  38. TesJune 23, 2011 at 11:12 PM

    Simply lovely! :)

    ReplyDelete
  39. PondsideJune 25, 2011 at 9:34 AM

    I didn't know that about Jerusalem Artichoke. Gorgeous shots - perfect summer scene.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for visiting my little corner of the world. I hope you enjoyed your stay here. Please leave a comment before you leave so I can visit your blog.