Growing Artichokes as Flowers

Green Globe Artichoke flowering in July

I’ve written before about my liking to use vegetables in the landscape. As far as plants go, though, I don’t think artichokes are all that attractive. They’re just big, leathery green thistles without the thorns.

The artichokes in April of this year

Once they’re done for the season, they die back and become big, brown sticks that need to be chopped down to make way for the next round of growth.

However, I do have to admit that, while the plant isn’t particularly pretty, the flowers can be quite stunning. Of course, we don’t often get to see the artichoke in flower because the edible portion of the plant is the young flower.

Not much to look at plant-wise, but those flowers!

This year, we had so many Green Globe artichokes that a number of them went to flower before we could cut them to eat.

Rather than chopping the spent plant down, I decided to let them flower and go to seed so I could plant more next year.

I’m glad I did too, because as it turns out, the flowers are absolutely gorgeous.

Better yet, the pollinators, especially the native bees, absolutely love them.