Cool Cardoon

I’ve been growing and enjoying cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) for over 25 years and appreciate the beauty of this statuesque plant. Also called “artichoke thistle”, this plant is hardy in zones 7-9 and as a herbaceous perennial, will gain size and impact quickly in our warm Midwest gardens as a seasonal contributor over the summer months. Cardoon (very closely related to globe artichokes) are in the Asteraceae family and native to southern Europe and portions of the Mediterranean. Introduced to the U.S. in the 1800s, this plant has edible leaf stalks (research preparation and use!) although the jagged, prickly, deeply-lobed silvery leaves are exquisite in the garden. The thistle-like flower doesn’t appear every year and is dependent on how the season progresses. From a small plant installed in late May or early June, cardoon will get 4’ wide and 3-4’ tall. Older foliage on the outside of the plant can be cut or snapped off to keep surrounding plants from being covered by flopping foliage. New growth is constantly emerging from the center of the plant. Full sun is ideal as are moist, well-drained soils. Keep an eye out for occasional insect issues. Drought tolerance and deer resistance are two other great assets of this plant. There is an excellent article on cardoon with additional information at https://wimastergardener.org/article/cardoon-cynara-cardunculus/. Do try this wonderful plant simply for the ornamental impact out in the garden! The blog cover photo and the four last photos in this blog show the fun variety ‘Porto Spineless’ which is very fine textured and commonly available from seed!