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  • Cardoon

Cardoon

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A hardier and wilder relative of the artichoke; the leaf stems are the part that's eaten rather than the flower buds. A treasured Italian traditional dish. Perennial in zones 6-9. Beautiful plants with huge silver leaves cut and lobed from a thick mid-rib, which is the part eaten. For maximum agricultural production, usually grown as an annual.

As plants approach maturity, they are bundled up and even wrapped with cardboard or straw to blanch the stems and make them less bitter. After a month of blanching, the plant is cut and the leaf and spines trimmed off, leaving the thick meaty mid-ribs. These are usually blanched in boiling water then pan-fried, roasted, used in soup, chilled for a salad, etc. It has an artichoke flavor and can be prepared in the same ways. It is possible to manage the plant as a perennial vegetable; the key is to cut the plants late so the roots store enough energy to sprout the next year. 50 seeds

Cardoon can also be managed as a seasonal hedge or border that grows to 5 ft in summer then dies back over winter, and resprouts in spring. The leaves and stems are a great source of carbon for compost. The huge purple thistle flowers are sought-after for cut flowers and drying. Seeds are nutritious for bird and poultry mixes. In Mediterranean climates, the flowers should be cut before they make seed, as the plant can self-sow. Like artichokes these are an edible thistle, so the plants can have spines on the leaves. Sited properly, this can be used to advantage for boundaries, etc. Herbalists use the leaves as a diuretic tea.

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  • Home
  • Shop
    • Plant for Summer
    • Vegetable Seeds >
      • Arugula
      • Beans
      • Beets
      • Broccoli and Cima di Rapa
      • Cabbage
      • Carrots & Roots
      • Celery
      • Chard
      • Corn
      • Cucumber
      • Eggplant
      • Fennel
      • Genepools and Landrace Gardening
      • Greens
      • Kale and Collards
      • Lettuce
      • Melons
      • Oil Crops
      • Okra
      • Open-Source Seeds (OSSI)
      • Onions and Leeks
      • Peas
      • Peppers
      • Spinach
      • Squash & Pumpkins
      • Sunflowers
      • Tomatoes
      • Tomatillos/Husk Cherries
      • Turnips and Rutabagas
      • Winter and Greenhouse Vegetables
    • Perennial Vegetable Seeds >
      • About Perennial Vegetables
    • Flower Seeds
    • Herb Seeds >
      • Medicinal and Historic Herbs
      • Culinary Herbs (and teas)
      • Herb Collections
    • Seed Collections
    • Pollinator and Pest Control Plants >
      • Pollinator and Pest Control Mixes
      • Plants for Pollinators
    • Grains >
      • Heirloom Wheat Barley Oats & Rye
      • Gluten-Free Grains
    • Cover Crops >
      • Cover Crop Mixes
      • Cover Crops that are Food Crops
      • Decorative Cover Crops
    • Open Source (OSSI)
    • New for 2025
    • Plant for Spring >
      • Spring Vegetables
      • Spring Herbs & Flowers
      • Spring Grains
      • Seeds that Need Winter Cold
      • Fast, Fresh Food
    • Plant for Fall >
      • Fall Vegetables
      • ltalian Fall Specialties
      • Herbs and Flowers for Fall
      • Fall Salad Greens
    • Start these Indoors
    • People behind the Seeds >
      • Carol Deppe Varieties
      • Jonathan Spero Varieties
      • Frank Morton Varieties
    • Companion Plants
    • Recipes >
      • Spring Recipes: Fresh Flavors of the Season
      • Tomato Recipes
      • Preserving and Fermenting
    • Mid-to-Late Summer Sowings
  • About Us.
    • Our Story
    • Shipping Info
    • Contact
  • Blog
  • HOW-TO