jerusalem artichokes and friends

if the jerusalem artichokes on campus have topped a foot in height that's great...the ones in my back yard are nearing two-and-a-half feet and the stand ( second photo ) is looking impressive ( if not frightening )...wherever i grow jerusalem artichokes lamb's quarters are not far behind... i do not know what the mechanism is that brings the seed to the sunchoke beds...just the wind..some critter...birds...no real idea but they always appear and it cannot be spontaneous...it may just be because they are native and abundant...prolific seeders, like purslane...they are in the bed at the south side of the house whatever the methodology employed and they will thrive there...that bottom photo is of a chinese yam vine erupting form the lemon balm at the west end of that same bed...jerusalem artichokes, chinese yams, and lemon balm are all aggressive colonizers...the jerusalem artichokes will shade out the lemon balm ( but not the lamb's quarters ) so it won't be an issue...and the chinese yams are rooted much more deeply than the lemon balm so there should be little competition there...so...tuber and an herb all in one bed along with a leafy green...i see some culinary experimentation come harvest.