Scientific Name:
Cynara cardunculus
Pronunciation:
sye-NAR-uh kar-DUNK-you-lus
Common Name:
cardoon, globe artichoke
Family Name:
Asteraceae
Plant Type:
Herbaceous perennial
Key ID Features:
Leaves alternate, most 60-90cm long x 20-50cm wide, deeply incised-lobed, prickly, silver-gray, undersides tomentose; flower heads thistle-like, 3-8cm wide, blue-purple to pinkish, Jul-Sep.
Habit:
Arching, Upright
Form:
Mounded
Texture:
Very coarse
Mature Height:
2 - 3m
Mature Spread:
1.5 - 2.0m
Growth Rate:
Fast
Origin:
Europe (Mediterranean)
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 7: (-18 to -12 °C)
Exposure:
Full sun only if soil kept moist, Sheltered
Soil/Growing Medium:
Well-drained
Landscape Uses:
Cut flower or foliage, Medicinal plant, Perennial border, Tall background, Urban agriculture
Additional Info:
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Lobed
Arrangement:
Alternate
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible
Surfaces:
Pubescent, Tomentose
Shapes:
Elliptic, Ovate
Apices:
Acute
Margins:
Pinnately lobed
Inflorescence Type:
Head (capitulum)
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Corolla Shape:
Ligulate
Ovary Position:
Inferior
Colour (petals):
Showy, Blue, Purple, Pink
Flower Time at Peak:
Jul, Aug, Sep
Additional Info:
edible flower buds
Fruit Type:
Cypsela (achene + calyx)
Fruit Colour:
Brown
Fruiting Time:
Oct, Nov
Additional Info:
Persistent
Bark or Stem Colour:
Green
Maintenance:
Low
Other:
Remove heads before seeds are released
Pest Susceptibility:
Aphids, Mildew, Mites, Mold, Root rot, Slugs or snails, Thrips (Deer resistant, Rabbit resistant, Drought tolerant)
