Artichoke | Description, Plant, Cultivation, Nutrition, History, & Facts

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• Introduction
• History
• Physical description
• Related species

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External Websites

• National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - Bioactive Compounds from Artichoke and Application Potential
• The Spruce - Growing and Caring for Artichoke Plants
• WebMD - Artichoke - Uses, Side Effects, and More
• University of California - Integrated Pest Management Program - Artichoke
• Royal Horticultural Society - How to grow globe artichokes
• Verywell Fit - Artichoke Nutrition Facts and Health Benefits
• Oregon State University - College of Agricultural Sciences - Artichoke
• Virginia Cooperative Extension - Specialty Crop Profile: Globe Artichoke (PDF)
• Tarbiat Modares University Press - Journal of Agricultural Science and Technology - Study of the Structure of Artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) Flowers
• Cell Press - Heliyon - Myricetin and chlorogenic acid from globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) as negative modulators of human Interferon I-α (PDF)
• Utah State University - Yard and Garden Extension - Artichoke in the Garden
• MedicineNet - Artichoke
• The University of Arizona Cooperative Extension - Growing Artichokes (PDF)
• North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox - Cynara cardunculus
• Cleveland Clinic - 10 Health Benefits of Artichokes

artichoke plant and vegetable Ask Anything Homework Help Also known as: Cynara cardunculus, variety scolymus, Cynara scolymus, French artichoke, globe artichoke(Show More) Written and fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Mar. 14, 2026 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

artichoke, (Cynara cardunculus, variety scolymus), large thistlelike perennial plant of the aster family (Asteraceae) grown for its edible flower buds. The flesh at the base of the thick leathery bracts and the receptacle of the immature flower head, known as the heart, are a culinary delicacy. The artichoke’s flavour is delicate and nutlike, and the smaller heads, or buds, are usually the most tender. Artichoke heads are commonly boiled or steamed and served as a hot vegetable with a sauce or as a cold salad or appetizer. Artichokes are a rich source of potassium, vitamin C, and dietary fibre.

History

Native to the western and central Mediterranean and North Africa, the artichoke was domesticated and carried to the eastern Mediterranean in ancient times, though it was then valued for its young leaves rather than the immature flower heads. The edible flower form was first recorded in Italy about 1400, and today it is extensively cultivated in Mediterranean countries, the Americas, and other regions with the necessary rich soil and mild climate.

Physical description

Artichoke plants feature a rosette of deeply toothed large silvery leaves that grow up to one metre (three feet) long and that die each year after flowers are formed. The plants produce sturdy branched flower stalks with about three to five large flower buds. If left unharvested, the artichoke buds open into thistlelike compound flower heads with numerous small purple disk flowers. In a cooked artichoke, the tiny immature flowers are the inedible “fuzz” that covers the artichoke heart.

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After four to eight years the cluster of rosettes becomes crowded, and the size and quality of the heads become reduced. The plant is then renewed by planting divisions of the rosette crown or rooted offshoots. Although the mature flower heads produce seeds, the seedlings do not necessarily resemble the variety of the parent plant, so vegetative propagation is preferred.

Related species

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) is usually understood to be the wild ancestor of the artichoke, though the latter is sometimes identified as its own species (C. scolymus) rather than as a variety of cardoon. The inner leaves and stalk of cardoon can be blanched and eaten, and the main roots are boiled and served chilled.

Also called: globe artichoke or French artichoke (Show more) Related Topics: vegetable cardoon (Show more) On the Web: Cell Press - Heliyon - Myricetin and chlorogenic acid from globe artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) as negative modulators of human Interferon I-α (PDF) (Mar. 14, 2026) (Show more) See all related content

The Jerusalem artichoke (Helianthus tuberosus) is grown for its edible tubers and does not resemble the artichoke.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.