Globe artichoke
Cynara cardunculus. Family Asteraceae. Perennial.
Also called Artichoke, French artichoke.
Globe artichoke is a large, clump-forming perennial grown for its edible unopened flower buds and deeply cut, silver-grey leaves. It belongs to the cultivated artichoke group of Cynara cardunculus; unharvested buds open into large purple flowers that attract bees. In cold regions, gardeners often grow it as an annual using varieties selected to crop in their first year.
At a glance
- Sun
- Full sun; shelter from strong winds that can tear leaves and break flower stems.
- Water
- Water deeply during dry spells, especially while buds develop. Keep the root zone evenly moist but never waterlogged.
- Soil
- Deep, fertile, well-drained soil, ideally enriched with compost or well-rotted manure. Winter drainage is essential.
- Height
- 3-6 ft (0.9-1.8 m)
- Spread
- 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m)
- Flowers
- Large purple thistle-like flowers in summer to early autumn if buds are left unharvested.
- Foliage
- Large, deeply lobed, silver-grey to grey-green leaves. Foliage may remain through mild winters but dies back with frost or summer dormancy.
- Growth
- Fast during the growing season.
- Care needed
- Medium
Care
- Allow 3-4 ft (0.9-1.2 m) between plants so mature leaves have room.
- Water at the base during dry weather; drought produces smaller, tougher buds.
- Apply compost or well-rotted manure in spring, keeping it clear of the crown.
- In marginally hardy areas, cover the root zone with dry straw before hard frost and remove it as spring growth begins.
- Stake tall flower stems in exposed gardens.
- Divide established clumps every three to four years if growth or cropping declines.
Pruning. Harvest buds while their scales are still tightly closed, cutting each with a short length of stem. After cropping or flowering, cut spent flower stems to the base and remove dead leaves without damaging the crown.
Through the year
- Late winter
- Sow seed under cover; in cold climates, choose a variety intended to crop in its first year.
- Spring
- Plant hardened-off young plants after hard frosts, or divide established clumps and replant vigorous rooted offsets.
- Spring
- Top-dress with compost and begin watering when the soil starts to dry.
- Early summer
- Check new shoots and developing buds for aphids; stake stems where wind exposure makes this necessary.
- Summer
- Harvest tightly closed buds, or leave selected heads to flower for bees.
- Autumn
- Remove spent stems and dead foliage; protect the root zone before hard frost in colder gardens.
In the garden
- Use as a bold silver-leaved focal point at the back of a sunny mixed border.
- Repeat through a potager to combine edible crops with strong architectural form.
- Pair with upright ornamental grasses and smaller-leaved perennials for contrasting textures.
- Leave a few flower heads in an edible landscape to provide purple colour and food for bees.
Garden styles it suits: Architectural minimal, Potager (kitchen garden), Edible landscape, Mediterranean, Cottage garden and Pollinator garden.
Plant it with: Swiss chard, Chives, Pot marigold, Nasturtium, Yarrow and Feather reed grass.
Wildlife: Open flowers are rich in pollen and nectar and attract bumblebees, honeybees and other pollinating insects.
Problems to watch for
- Aphids cluster on shoots and buds: wash them off with water, encourage natural predators and use insecticidal soap labelled for edible crops if needed.
- Slugs and snails damage young shoots: hand-pick after dark and use barriers or an approved iron-based bait according to its label.
- Crown rot develops in wet soil: improve drainage, keep mulch away from the crown and replace badly rotted plants.
- Plants fail to overwinter in severe cold: provide dry winter protection in marginal areas, or grow first-year-cropping varieties as annuals.
Safety
Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses. The fleshy bud bases and hearts are edible; mature leaves, tough bracts and the fibrous choke are not suitable eating material. Sharp bract tips can prick skin or mouths, and sensitive people may develop contact irritation.
Where it spreads. Cynara cardunculus, particularly feral cardoon forms, is invasive in California and parts of southern Australia, including Victoria and South Australia. Cultivated globe artichokes are generally less prone to spreading, but can escape by seed; remove flower heads before seed ripens near natural areas and check local restrictions.
Easily confused with
Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus)
The same species in a different cultivated group, usually grown for blanched leaf stalks. It generally has smaller flower heads and often more strongly spined leaves; cultivar differences can blur the distinction.
Milk thistle (Silybum marianum)
Its leaves are glossy green with conspicuous white marbling and sharp marginal spines, rather than the globe artichoke's broadly silver-grey foliage.
The name
The botanical epithet cardunculus means 'little thistle' in Latin, referring to the plant's thistle-like appearance.
Propagation. Separate vigorous rooted offsets in spring to preserve a named variety. Plants can also be raised from seed, but seedlings may vary in bud quality and cropping time; many need a cool period before they will flower.
Checked against open data
- Accepted botanical name
- Cynara cardunculus
- In the US and Canada
- Introduced in the lower 48 states.
- Native range
- Albania, Algeria, Baleares, Canary Is., France, Italy, Libya, Madeira, Morocco, Portugal, Sicilia and Spain.
- Measured
- Soil pH 7.5 to 8. Average height 69 cm.
Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0), USDA PLANTS and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.
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