How Do Artichokes Grow?

​

Artichokes grow on perennial bushes that live for 15 years or longer.​ The artichoke is a perennial plant cultivated for its edible, immature flower buds. The buds are arranged in clusters (inflorescence) with spine-tipped bracts (specialized leaves that enclose the flowers’ reproductive structures). The tender, edible base of the bud is called the artichoke heart.  

 

The artichoke plant grows large and bushy, up to 6 feet tall and 5 feet wide. It thrives in full sun to partial shade, and prefers loamy, well-draining soil. 

 

Artichokes are cultivated in their native Mediterranean countries, but in the United States, they only grow commercially in California. They can grow almost anywhere but prefer coastal areas with mild, frost-free winters and humid summers. Under ideal growing conditions (zones 9-11), the plant is a perennial that produces buds for a number of years, but in colder climates it is treated as an annual, with new plants started each spring.

 

Artichoke plants produce buds for as long as 15 years if they are well-tended. The rootstock must be divided every three years to prevent offshoots from overcrowding and diminishing productivity.

​

Seasonal Growth

Health Benefits

​

History

​

Propagation

 

Artichokes may be propagated from seed or by dividing the roots of an existing plant. 

 

To propagate by root division,  8 inch shoots growing outside the plant’s base are carefully separated from the main root ball underground.  The roots of the shoot need to remain intact in order to be transplanted.  The best time to divide the plant is during the plant’s dormancy in fall or winter.

 

Harvest:

 

Artichoke harvest in most areas takes place from late-July or early August until the first frost. In areas where artichokes grow perennially, the first harvest generally takes place in spring or early summer, and a small harvest may follow in the fall.

​

Storage

Fun Facts