Guide to growing garden plants - Cynara (Wild Artichoke)
Members of Cynara are half hardy perennials that are normally grown as half hardy annuals in the garden.
These prickly plants have thistle like flowers that may reach up to 2 metres in height.
Common names for members of Cynara include Wild Artichoke and Cardoon.
They make a great addition to a culinary garden, and the artichoke fruits should be harvested whilst still closed and green in colour.
How to grow Wild Artichokes (Cynara)
If you plan to grow wild artichokes outside then seeds should be planted at a depth of about 3mm in a rich, moist soil. The Artichokes should be sown after the last frost of spring into a sunny well drained area of the garden. It may be better to first start Cynara seedlings indoors. They should be sown on the last day of winter (give or take a day or two) in an area with a temperature of about 10 degrees Celsius. Wild artichoke seedlings should then be planted outdoors at a spacing of 5cm before the last frost of spring.
Caring for wild artichokes
The soil that wild artichokes grow in should be kept moist by regular watering.