- Perennial vegetables
- Food forest
- Bees and butterflies
- Edimentals
- Medicinal
Green Globe Artichoke
Cynara cardunculus var scolymus
Classic, hardy perennial artichoke variety grown for its large, tender, nutty-flavoured buds and beautiful ornamental flowers loved by wildlife.
PLANT TYPE Vegetable
PLANT HABIT Perennial
USES Culinary, Pollinators, Ornamental
DESCRIPTION
Classic, hardy perennial artichoke variety grown for its large, tender, nutty-flavoured buds and beautiful ornamental flowers loved by wildlife. The plant features tall, architectural stems with silvery-green, deeply toothed leaves and produces large green buds. If left unharvested the buds grow into large purple thistle-like flowers which are loved by pollinators.
A mature plant can produce 10–12 buds per season. Harvest buds beginning in the second year after planting.
RECOMMENDED LOCATION Forest garden, Wildlife garden, Ornamental garden
Aspect Full sun, Moist full sun
Height 1.2–1.5m
Spread 0.9–1.2m
Hardiness Hardy in the UK
Management and care Plants remain productive for several years (often up to 4 years or more) but may need dividing or replacement as they lose vigour.
Origin/history
Native to the Mediterranean, the globe artichoke is a cultivated descendant of the wild cardoon. Philosopher and botanist, Theophrastus, reported the cultivation of artichokes in Sicily during the 3rd century BC.
