Batten Blooms
Globe Artichoke
Cynara scolymus

Globe Artichoke

6a–10bHardiness zone
SpringSummerFall
Peak bloom windowZone 6b · frost-offset weeks
Winter
Not in bloom
Spring
Peak bloom
Summer
Peak bloom
Fall
Not in bloom
Peak bloom
In bloom
Background

Globe artichokes grown to flower are one of the most beautiful and dramatic plants in the garden. The large silver-grey architectural leaves and the massive spherical buds are ornamental at every stage - but if you leave the heads to open fully, the violet-purple thistle flowers they become are six inches across and extraordinary. The choice between eating the bud and letting it bloom is the central tension of growing this plant.

For cutting, both stages are useful: the tight grey-green buds make structural elements in large summer arrangements, while the open violet flowers are among the most dramatic things you can put in a vase. In treat as a perennial in mild years with heavy mulching, or replant from divisions each spring.

Good companions
Globe ThistleMulleinFrench Tarragon
Care guide
SunFull sun
WaterRegular; deeply drought tolerant once established but produces better with moisture
SoilRich, deeply cultivated, well-draining
Spacing4–5 feet
Height4–6 feet
Zone6a – 10b
WinterMarginally hardy - mulch the crown heavily before hard frost; replant from divisions in spring if it doesn't survive.
Seasonal tasks
spring
plantStart from divisions or transplants; plant after last frost in rich soil
summer
cutHarvest tight buds for eating or arrangements - or leave to open into spectacular violet blooms
fall
watchMulch heavily before first frost - crown can survive mild winters
Pests

Aphids

Aphididae →
Symptoms

Clusters of small soft insects on new growth and flower buds.

Treatment

Knock off with a strong jet of water. Ladybirds and lacewings are natural predators. Insecticidal soap as last resort.

From the field journal
Summer reading

The garden in the film

I keep thinking about the garden scene in Juliette Binoche's The Taste of Things, and what it says about growing things that are almost too beautiful to eat.

Read →