Kitchen Garden Forum

Last year I started my new vegetable garden in my new home. At my previous home I grew globe artichokes as everyone loves them. I was given 4 globe artichoke suckers of unknown variety which I planted out. At the same time I planted and grew Violet de Provence and Gros Vert de Leon artichokes from seed. To ensure the plants were not stressed I removed all the buds last year as soon as I spotted them.

This year I let the buds grow and began harvesting them. The globe artichokes I grew from seeds are producing lovely large and delicious heads, the unknown variety, gifted ones are very different. The plants are huge, well over 2m with loads of tiny artichokes, 5cm at most - see photo. I have never seen anything so tiny on such huge plants. Are these edible, are they some ornamental variety? Any thoughts welcome.

You are obviously more of an artichoke connoisseur than I am Cobbarn - they are one veg that my family and I have never been able to feel the love for, so I don't grow them, although I do grow cardoons for their ornamental appeal. I wonder if it is possible to go back to the person you originally had the suckers from to see if you can find out more about the parent plants as yours are a bit of an unknown quantity at the moment. You obviously know how to grow the plants very well and the plants are healthy so it would be good to confirm if the parents are good croppers for your friend or not. If not then perhaps you'd be better replacing them with another named variety. Otherwise perhaps reducing the number of heads as you have done with the others, and giving the plants one more season, would be a good idea before they are consigned to the compost or ornamental garden.

Hi Cobbarn & welcome to the forum!

I like them, but always miss them when tiny without a big choke & I can't be faffed with sucking tiny bits out of the petals but want them like those you buy in olive oil. I spotted 3 small ones today & will be researching a bit on preparing them & cooking them. Anyway your question - that is well tiny & I personally didn't know they would grow from a sucker & find that a bit weird, as if they did then they would take over & spread but mine stay in their place, get bigger & stronger each year but stay where they are.

I would not be sure that is an edible but an ornamental, (is there such a beast)?, but either way the bees will love it when it flowers so not a waste of a plant! Or it could do better next year? Sorry unhelpful really! Looking forward to other replies, like you!

Good morning Cobbarn, and a warm welcome to the forum from me too.
I can't really help with the variety i'm afraid....Imperial Star has smallish heads but, even these are bigger than yours.

Westi, instead of calling them suckers, they are more like new shoots coming from around the base of the plant....They are not like spreading/running suckers, that I think, you are thinking about.... hope that makes sense.

Got it OH!

I do get the wee stems around the big boys but just thought they were new stems without their own root but joined to the main stem. Never bothered removing them to check as most of my plants turn out for the bees - well until I can be adopted by an Italian auntie to really explain how to use them correctly in the kitchen!

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. As the plants are so huge and overwhelming the other ‘proper’ artichoke plants, I think my best plan will be to give up and reluctantly consign them to the compost heap.