10 Cardoon Giant Thistle HP Seeds, Cynara Cardunculus. AKA Artichoke Thistle. RHS AGM Award. Grow these Beautiful, Very Tall, Thistle-Like Hardy Perennial Plants. Very Useful as an Architectural Plant in Herbaceous Borders but also Wild Gardens. Edible Similar to Globe Artichoke! Sow February to April or Autumn, Flowers June to September from Second Year Onwards. 10 Seeds Supplied
Cardoon Giant Thistle (Cynara Cardunculus) is a striking giant plant and is usually grown as a tall, statuesque architectural plant at the back of herbaceous borders. The silver grey leaves are large and serrated and the purple thistle-like flowers are just so beautiful! Later in the year the leaves at the base of the plant can look a bit untidy, but are best left as they help balance these tall plants. In December the flowers go to seed and again look spectacular. Cut back the plants between December and early March. In March new growth will start to appear. Although the flower buds can be eaten, it is more often the leaf stalks that are used in the kitchen. The stems can be blanched in the same way as celery, for 3 to 4 weeks before harvesting. The leaf stalks can be braised and served with hollandaise or cheese sauce. The flavour is similar to artichoke. It grows 2.4 to 3 metres (8 to 10 ft tall) in good, rich soil, but in poor soil only 1,8 metres (6 ft). The spread is about half the height approx 1.2 metres!
Sowing - Sow Indoors February to April or Autumn
Sow seeds indoors Feb-April or Autumn 0.5cm (5mm) deep in cell module trays or (preferably) in 9cm pots using a good, moist seed compost. Germination normally takes 14-30 days or longer at 15-20c. Keep compost moist but not soaked. If sown in cell trays pot on into 9cm pots when plants are large enough to handle. In May when plants are a good size acclimatise them to outdoor temperatures for a week or so before planting outside in sunny places in the garden, preferably with good drainage. Protect young plants from frost. Water plants during dry spells. Your plants will probably need some support unless in a very sheltered place in the garden. Although hardy to -10c give plants some protection in the first year.
Please note: Some of the seeds may not come up until they have a winter chill, so some patience is needed, they then appear in the Spring the following year. Your plants will probably flower in the first year, but it is perhaps best to remove them to allow the plants to grow stronger and better for second year flowering.
Seeds can also be sown in Autumn in a cool greenhouse or coldframe.
Seeds are packed in manilla or grip seal packets. We send seeds by 1st Class Post in a protective padded envelope, with growing instructions..