Plant of the Month for August
Cardoon
Cynara cardunculus
By August the tallest herbaceous perennials are reaching their full height and
beginning to flower, standing out showily at the back, or dotted within
herbaceous or mixed borders. One of the tallest, most architectural and striking
of these is the cardoon, Cynara cardunculus, (to
which the better known globe artichoke, Cynara
scolymus, grown for its edible flowerhead bracts is closely
related).
In addition to their height (1.5m plus), cardoons have
attractive, large and deeply dissected, silvery-grey green leaves, up to 50cms
long, which are usually toothed and spiny. These are well spaced up the strong,
grey woolly, branching stems which from mid-summer to autumn support very large,
blue or purple, thistle like solitary flowers 4-8cms across. Like other members
of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family, each flowerhead contains numerous tightly
packed florets, which in cardoons are surrounded by thick, silvery, spiny
bracts. These not only look striking but are attractive to bees and other
insects and will dry well for use in floral arrangements.
Cardoons are
easy to grow in a well drained, fertile soil in a sunny position. They can be
affected by aphids, slugs or grey mould but are generally robust plants, though
in areas of cold wet winters may need protection with a dry mulch. Due to the
size of their leaves they need space to grow and where exposed to wind will need
staking to support the weight of their flowerheads. They can be propagated by
seed, division or root cuttings.
Cardoons are native to the SW
Mediterranean and Morocco and have been cultivated for their edible leaf stalks
and midribs which are blanched and used in salads, soups and stews. They were
popular in England and France in the late 19th century but are rarely grown here
now other than for decorative purposes, though are still used in traditional
dishes in southern France, Spain and Italy. A few cultivars are still available
such as ‘Gigante di Romagna’ and ‘Rouge d’Alger’ which are taller and stronger
in colour than the species but may be hybrids with the globe
artichoke.
At Myerscough Gardens cardoons can be found in the Silver
Border, the Mixed Herbaceous Border and the Ornamental Kitchen Garden for
striking ornamental effect. So catch them over the coming weeks looking at their
best and decide whether you can make space in your garden for this statuesque
plant, which you might also be tempted to taste.
