Cardoon

[Herbgardener]

I have recently read about cardoon and I would like to know if anyone has grown it. Is it hard to grow? Can it be grown in zone 5? And what I really want to know is do the stems taste like artichokes?

Herbgardener

 

[hoodat]

They'll grow wherever artichoke will but to do their best they like a long cool period. A lot of fog from the sea at night is when the really thrive.The taste is reminiscent of artichoke but not quite the same. They have a more robust flavor. They are quite popular in Europe but not often seen in gardens in the US.
Watch out for the thorns. They can really get you and have to be dug out with a needle like a splinter.

 

[RustyDHart]

My boss starts it very early in the greenhouses and then transplants it outside.....it does have a unique taste....I've had it in Italian cooking. The plant (I think) resembles a Globe thistle....it gets pretty good size leaves.

 

[hoodat]

My boss starts it very early in the greenhouses and then transplants it outside.....it does have a unique taste....I've had it in Italian cooking. The plant (I think) resembles a Globe thistle....it gets pretty good size leaves.

They belong to the thistle family as do artichokes. One nice thing is that if they get ahead of you you still have pretty flowers. BTW if you remember where a thick clump of thistles grew last Summer keep an eye on them. The Springtime shoots are edible while they are still tender.

 

[flgardengirl]

My friend from Calif sent me Cardoon seeds a few yrs ago. I dont think they liked it here. They did good for awhile and then when it got real hot and humid during the summer, they sorta petered out.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

I have recently read about cardoon and I would like to know if anyone has grown it. Is it hard to grow? Can it be grown in zone 5? And what I really want to know is do the stems taste like artichokes?

Herbgardener

Sometime ago we had a thread on cardoons which was full of info that we gathered together; here's a link..........>>

http://www.theeasygarden.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=25894


Hattie

 

[obsessed]

Hattie, weren't you one of the ones with HiDelight growing it? How did it ever turn out?