Herb. No. 206 · Asteraceae
Mediterranean thistle; a coastal crop from California to Italy.
Native · Mediterranean
Native Also grown
LegalGentleplant
Artichoke
Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus
Fruit & vegetableHarvestCompanions
A giant thistle grown for the flower bud — you eat the bract bases and the heart, and throw away the choke.
Globe artichoke is a selected cardoon, a Mediterranean thistle. Traditional Italian and Levantine kitchens cook the immature flower. Culinary amounts are the path. The fuzzy choke is inedible. Milk thistle is a cousin on another plate. Cool coastal summers make the best buds; hot continental summers make a smaller crop.
Flavor
Nutty, green, a little sweetness at the heart. Butter or lemon is the usual argument.
Parts used
Immature flower head (bracts and heart)
Helpful
- A perennial in mild winters
- A spectacular plant
Cautions
- The choke
- Aphids love it
- Hard winters kill the crown