Globe Artichoke

SpringSummer

6a–10bHardiness zone

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

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 Zone 6b, treat as a perennial in mild years with heavy mulching, or replant from divisions each spring.

Good companions

Echinops ritro Verbascum olympicum

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 in Zone 6b — mulch crown heavily; replant from divisions in spring if it doesn't survive.

Seasonal tasks

spring

sowStart 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 in Zone 6b — crown can survive mild winters

Common problems

Aphids

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

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 →