Whether you garden in the ground, in raised beds, on the patio, or anywhere else, artichokes are a great addition or re-addition to your plant family. Read on for simple, straightforward specifics about growing artichokes.
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Family | Container Size | Good Companions | Bad Companions | Soil Conditions | Germination | Sun | Water | Temperature Range | Height | Lifespan | Reproduction | Yield Per Plant | Ingestibility | Further Reading
What Family Do Artichokes Belong To?
Artichokes (Cynara cardunculus) belong to the Asteraceae family, also known as the daisy family.
Some of their relatives include chamomile, chicory, and lettuce.
What Size Container Should I Use for Growing Artichokes?
The minimum container depth recommended for artichokes is 24 inches.
The container should also be at least 38 inches wide, as a mature artichoke plant can grow up to 4 feet wide.
Learn more in our Choosing the Right Planter for Your Container Garden article here.
What Are Good Companion Plants for Artichokes?
Some of artichokes' best companions are as follows:
- Peas and beans. These are especially good companions since artichokes are heavy feeders, and certain legumes like peas and beans are "nitrogen fixers" that add nitrogen and other nutrients back into the soil.
- Asparagus
- Broccoli, cauliflower, and other Brassicas
- Corn
- Cucumber
- Hollyhock
- Marigold
- Nasturtium
- Sunflower
- Tarragon
- Violet
- Yarrow
- Radish
What Are Bad Companion Plants for Artichokes?
Artichokes can be planted near most other common garden plants and herbs without an issue.
An exception to this is fennel. Artichokes' growth may be stunted if grown very close to fennel due to fennel's allelopathic effects.
What Soil Conditions Do Artichokes Need?
Artichokes prefer light, fertile, well-draining soil that is not waterlogged.
How Long Do Artichokes Take to Germinate?
Artichokes take 10-21 days to germinate at a temperature of 60-80°F.
How Much Sun Do Artichokes Need?
Artichokes can grow in full sun to part shade.
In other words, they grows fastest in full sun. They will still grow in dappled shade or part shade, just at a slower rate. Artichoke plants may also produce smaller and fewer globes when grown in shade than they would in full sun.
Sun recommendations can vary by region, and artichokes grown in hot areas or in warmer conditions than the ideal temperature range noted below may need more shade.
How Much Water Do Artichokes Need?
Artichokes need 1-2 inches of water per week.
They should not be allowed to dry out, but they also should not be waterlogged.
What Is the Ideal Temperature Range for Growing Artichokes?
Artichokes grow fastest in temperatures of 60-80°F.
This is their ideal temperature range. Although they will grow in temperatures both cooler and warmer than this range, the growth could be slower or even stunted.
Minimum and maximum temperatures will vary by variety. Some artichoke varieties are bred for early spring harvests and others for warmer climates.
How Tall Do Artichokes Get?
The average height of a mature artichoke shrub is 3 feet. It can also grow up to 4 feet wide.
Individual artichoke globes are about 7 inches in diameter when ripe.
Are Artichokes Annual, Biennial, or Perennial?
Artichokes are perennial vegetables, meaning that they live for longer than a couple years, in Hardiness Zones 8 and above.
In climates that are colder than Zone 8, they are grown as annuals, meaning that they begin and end their lives in the same year.
Learn more about hardiness zones in the What is a USDA Hardiness Zone? article here.
How Do Artichokes Reproduce?
Artichokes can reproduce by seed, runner, or root division.
How Many Artichokes Are Produced Per Plant?
For artichokes, how many are produced per plant (also called the yield) largely depends on the variety.
Most artichoke plants yield 6-10 globes per season.
Can Artichokes Be Ingested?
Artichoke hearts are edible. These are the centers of the artichoke globes that are accessed by peeling off the leaves.
Artichoke leaves have anti-inflammatory and digestion-supportive properties and can be used in herbal preparations. The most common preparations are tea and tincture. An herb:solvent weight ratio of 1:5 at 40% alcohol is suggested for an artichoke leaf tincture.
There are no known safety concerns associated with ingesting artichoke leaves for the general public. However, herbal use is discouraged for those with severe liver disease.
Further Reading
This article is intended as a quick-reference guide for gardeners. Consult your seed packet or seed catalog for variety-specific information.
When you have a bumper crop of artichokes rolling in, you may not have enough time for long, complicated recipes or many-step preservation procedures. Check out my article on quick, simple uses for artichokes here!
Artichokes are featured in these Plant to Plate articles: