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C. cardunculus. This striking perennial heirloom is grown as an ornamental artichoke but its leaf stalks and stems are edible. It grows at least 1.2m (4’) tall for a stunning Mediterranean look with large silvery-green, deeply-cut leaves and thistle-like flowers of rich, royal purple. Its flowers are highly attractive to bees and other pollinators. Thick stems, steamed and seasoned, are an old-world treat. The unopened flower buds make unusual cut flowers.
Matures in 150-210 days. (Open-pollinated seeds)
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Latin
Latin
Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus
Family: Asteraceae
Difficulty
Difficulty
Moderately challenging.
We Recommend
We Recommend: Imperial Star (AR103). Harvesting artichokes in the first year of growth is a real benefit for growers. Imperial Star grows beautifully in an open field situation.
Season
Season: Cool season
Exposure: Full sun
Zone: 6 (hardy in Zone 5 if you use mulch and cloche cover)
Timing
Timing
Start indoors in late winter, four to six weeks before the last frost date. Keep seedlings under bright lights.
Starting
Starting
Sow two seeds per pot, 5mm (¼”) deep. Keep moist in a warm place until seeds germinate in 10 to 21 days. Transplant seedlings into the garden 2 weeks after the last average frost date for your area. Artichokes need a cool period (250 hours — approximately 10 to 11 days) below 10°C (50°F) to induce flowering in the first year, but will not survive hard frost. Space plants 1m (3′) apart. Seeds can also be germinated between damp sheets of paper towel.
Days to Maturity
Days to Maturity
From transplant.
Growing
Growing
Ideal pH: 5.6-6.6. Select a sunny, sheltered location with well-draining soil. Dig in lots of compost or rotted manure and add 1/2 to 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer per plant. On the coast, with protective mulch, these plants may overwinter. Approximately two weeks before the last frost date (or if hard frost is forecast) cut the plants back to 15cm (6″) tall, and mulch well with straw, soil, leaves, or burlap, to keep the roots from freezing. Uncover after the last frost date.
Seed Info
Seed Info
In optimum conditions at least 70% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 1 year.
West Coast Seeds is a family-owned company that embraces an organic lifestyle. A group of imagination catalysts and passionate educators, dedicated to producing products and services that better the environment. As part of our mission to repair the earth, we aim to inspire and empower people to take responsibility for the state of the planet. For us, organic is about much more than saying no to chemicals, it is about saying yes to building a healthy soil for the future.
For over 35 years, we have upheld our strong reputation as a leading seed supplier, seeking out the highest quality untreated seeds for organic growing and putting them through rigorous independent testing. We built our company on the exchange of generational wisdom in a masterclass community of newbies and masters alike. Our world may have changed, but our commitment to our people, our customers, and our planet has not.
We’re a values-based business that has blossomed into a lifestyle ethos, with products that support seeders, feeders, keepers, and the tiniest of creepers. Our mission? To mobilize the next generation of gardeners with products that nourish soil and grow vigorous, sustainable gardens. We believe all plants should be grown without the use of chemicals, and that the seeds we supply are an important component of regenerative gardening.
We don’t just offer seeds, we offer experience, insight, and understanding. From timeless garden wisdom to new tech know-how, this is learning on the job: knowledge gleaned not from the pages of a book but from burying our fingers in the soil. We test, experiment, observe and adapt, never happier than when we get to share what we’ve learned with others.
Gardens don’t just grow seeds. They grow minds and imaginations, people and communities. Our vision encompasses both the micro and the macro. We eat locally, protect pollinators, teach people to grow from seed, and support regional biodiversity. We think big but act small and deliver unexpected impact — always with community and purpose.
At West Coast Seeds we believe in the power of small and that little can be large. Like the tiniest seed germinates to evoke incremental change with massive potential, so to can our community of gardeners and growers together. Gardeners are the earth’s stewards, planting seeds of creative declaration. The soil provides the canvas, we provide the seeds.
Start indoors in late winter, four to six weeks before the last frost date. Keep seedlings under bright lights.
Sow two seeds per pot, 5mm (¼”) deep. Keep moist in a warm place until seeds germinate in 10 to 21 days. Transplant seedlings into the garden 2 weeks after the last average frost date for your area. Artichokes need a cool period (250 hours — approximately 10 to 11 days) below 10°C (50°F) to induce flowering in the first year, but will not survive hard frost. Space plants 1m (3′) apart. Seeds can also be germinated between damp sheets of paper towel.
Ideal pH: 5.6-6.6.
Select a sunny, sheltered location with well-draining soil. Dig in lots of compost or rotted manure and add 1/2 to 1 cup of complete organic fertilizer per plant. On the coast, with protective mulch, these plants may overwinter. Approximately two weeks before the last frost date (or if hard frost is forecast) cut the plants back to 15cm (6″) tall, and mulch well with straw, soil, leaves, or burlap, to keep the roots from freezing. Uncover after the last frost date.
Days to maturity: From transplant.
In optimum conditions at least 70% of seeds will germinate. Usual seed life: 1 year.
Cut individual flowers before they start to open in late summer.
