Tender-hearted Artichokes
by Kris Wetherbee

I encountered my first globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus) as a young girl, at a friend’s house. Dipping each leaf in melted butter and tugging the stem end through my teeth to draw off the tender meat seemed like child’s play.

Years later I discovered the rewards of this vegetable go beyond its culinary appeal. Ornamentally, it makes a bold statement in the garden, with deeply serrated leaves spreading into a silvery green fountain to five feet tall and six feet across. But it’s the flower bud that is harvested for consumption. Shaped like a pinecone with tough, prickly outer leaves - technically bracts - it contains layers of tasty, creamy-textured interior leaves and a sweet, oh so tender heart.

Although artichokes thrive where summers are cool and moist and winters are mild (USDA Hardiness Zones 8–9, AHS Heat Zones 9–7), with the proper variety selection and a little planning, backyard gardeners in most regions can successfully grow this gourmet crop.

Growing guidelines

In USDA Zones 8 and 9, artichokes are grown as perennials, producing crops for about five years. They often survive in cooler climates when grown in well-drained soil and provided extra winter protection.

In cold-winter climates that have at least 90 frost-free days, artichokes are best grown as annuals. Plants require vernalization - exposure to a cold period - to induce flowering. This is achieved naturally for plants that winter outdoors, but if you are growing artichokes as an annual, place young seedlings with two or three leaves outdoors in a protected spot, such as a cold frame, for two to six weeks while temperatures are between 34 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Or to make it easy on yourself, buy seedlings from a garden center.…

Photo credits: Rick Wetherbee.

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