Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
acy. By the end of the 18th century, artichokes were a favored vegetable in Austria, so much so that
gardeners were hardly able to meet demand and sold them at high prices. One was able to amass a
small fortune by growing artichokes for the gentry; he dedicated his fine new Viennese house to the
vegetable that had bestowed such wealth upon him: Zur goldenen Artischocke (“to the golden ar-
tichoke”). By the end of the 19th century, the Viennese artichoke craze had subsided.
CARDOON
Cynara cardunculus
Cardoon distinguishes itself from the artichoke with its much smaller and more numerous flower heads
(that have no meaty “heart”) and through its uses: the fleshy, blanched leaf stalks are used as a veget-
able and its seeds are used for fermentation in goat cheese production. Cardoon, like the artichoke,
contains cynarine, a bitter compound that aids digestion and stimulates bile activity. Plants take two
forms, those with thorny, woolly-haired leaves (var.
ermis
) and those without (var.
inermis
).
The flower bud of the cardoon is very like an artichoke but does not develop swollen scales.
WHAT YOU'LL NEED
• at least 10 (ideally 15) healthy plants
• leaf or straw mulch for winter
POLLINATION NOTES
Cardoon can cross-pollinate with artichoke (which see). Isolation distance:
650-800 ft. (200-250 m).
GROWING FOR SEED
Cardoon is a perennial plant that is grown as an annual for food, as a biennial
for seed, and as a perennial when grown as an ornamental. It is always propagated sexually, by seed. In
central Europe (zone 6), start seeds indoors in late winter. When sowing seed outdoors, place three or
four seeds in a planting hole 2.5 in. (6 cm) deep every 3 ft. (1 m) in mid to late spring. After sprouting,
keep the one most vigorous plant per hole. This is the standard cultivation method in France, Italy, and
Spain, where cardoon is grown in fields. Plants flower in autumn, but since seeds can no longer ripen
that late in the year (and a primary selection goal is good leaf stalk development), flower stalks should
be removed at this point. Dig up plants, root ball and all, in mid to late autumn and store in a frost-free
environment.
Cardoon is hardier than the artichoke. Plants usually survive the winter outdoors in central Europe.
Cut back to heart leaves (4-6 in. [10-15 cm] above the ground) and mulch with leaves or straw. We re-
