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A tuberous root is an enlarged fleshy root modified as a storage organ with shoots produced at one end and roots produced at the other.

Photo of a tuberous root.

Dahlia

Illustration of a tuberous root, with the distal end, original tuberous root, new tuberous roots, and portion of crown identified.

Sweet potato is produced from a tuberous root.

Illustration of a sweet potato with the distal end, adventitious shoots, adentitious roots, and scar where the tuberous root was detached from mother plant identified.

Photo of a sweet potato with adventitious shoots emerging from it.

Botanically, tuberous roots differ from true tubers because tubers are modified stem tissue.

Tuberous roots are produced in a number of herbaceous perennials.

Photo with two examples of tuberous roots, Ranunculus, and Dahlia.

Propagation is by crown division and can be performed on the dormant or in some cases, actively growing plants.

Each crown division should have several buds or "eyes" and sufficient storage root to make a new plant.

Photo showing an example of the propagation of a peony tuberous root.

Peony

Species propagated division of the tuberous roots include:

Dahlia, Ranunculus, daylily (Hemerocallis), some Iris species, and peony (Paeonia).

Photo of a pile of plants which are propagated by division of the tuberous roots.

Photo of a technician dividing tuberous roots.

Peony are propagated by division of the tuberous roots. Plants are dug with modified potato diggers while they are dormant.

Photo of a tractor with a modified potato digger digging up peony tuberous roots.

Detail photo of the modified potato digger machinery.

Field dug peony plants are washed to remove soil prior to division.

Photo of peony plants being fed by conveyor belt into a machine for washing them free of soil.

Second photo of peony plants being fed by conveyor belt into a machine for washing them free of soil.

Tuberous roots are divided to reduce the root size to fit into packaging or containers. Each division has several crown buds or eyes.

Photo showing a container full of divided tuberous roots.

Photo of technicians dividing tuberous roots at a table.