[svenrufus]

This is my first year of growing them, so not got much to offer in words of wisdom I'm afraid.
But, they seem to be ignored by any critters munching on foliage elsewhere - I've not noticed any damage to any of my plants, so not much use in this respect I guess. If they get to flower, they will have the usual nectar//pollen value I suppose. As they are in the sunflower family, maybe they have seeds that birds will covet.

When I said I was putting some in my allotment, people would offer a sharp intake of reath, and warn me that I would never get rid of them from the plot. I just thought 'Excellent, edible weeds!'

I think they are terrific produce, make a great base for soups, good mash and even substitute for Water Chestnuts in stir-fry dishes.

I was also warned about a certain side effect that they are renowned for, but I've never had a particular problem with that - maybe it's because I'm a veggie anyway that I didn't notice the difference.