Cynara cardunculus ~ Cardoon Size:1 GALLON The leaves emerge in spring

The leaves emerge in spring as an orange-red that matures to a bright yellow-gold that doesn’t burn or bleach in the summer heat

Ruellia-humilis2

(2) Zbigniew Niepokój

IMAGES:  Peter Stevens

Cynara cardunculus ~ Cardoon Size:1 GALLON The leaves emerge in springCardoon is a tender columnar perennial treated as an annual with attractive but prickly deep lobed grey green foliage. Sturdy edible stalks sport large flowerheads that are also edible if unopened and bloom to thistle like purple flowers. Best if grown in rich, consistently moist well drained loamy soils. To harvest the stalks, wrap the inedible leaves around the stalks and blanched when stems reach 3', and the cut to the ground 4 6 weeks later. Type: