Permapotes

Cardoon

Cardoon: Sowing, planting and harvest calendar

Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus) belongs to the Asteraceae family and is closely related to globe artichoke. Both vegetables have the appearance of a large thistle, but their main culinary uses differ. Cardoon is valued for its fleshy leaf stalks, the petioles that connect the leaves to the plant. Globe artichoke is best known for its flower heads eaten before the flowers open. Cardoon is also distinct from chard, whose edible stalks belong to an entirely different plant.

Originally from the Mediterranean region, cardoon is a perennial that may be grown as an annual crop for its stalks. It forms an imposing clump of long, deeply divided leaves, often grey green to silvery. The foliage creates a broad outline, while the flower stems add a strong upright presence. A flowering plant can exceed two metres in favourable conditions, although this is not a fixed size for every variety or setting.

The leaves and their stalks may carry more or less pronounced spines. Less spiny selections also exist. This is a characteristic of the variety and does not, by itself, establish the flavour quality of the vegetable. The stalks have a fleshy, fibrous structure that differs greatly from the divided leaf blades. They are the part usually used as a vegetable in the kitchen.

Names encountered among cultivated cardoons include Blanc amélioré, Rouge d’Alger, Vert Vaux Velin and Argenté de Plainpalais. The last illustrates the tradition of spiny cardoons in the Geneva region. Selections differ in overall habit, stalk characteristics and spines. Their names do not guarantee exactly the same texture in every garden. This diversity accompanies well established regional culinary traditions.

When flowering, cardoon produces large heads of violet blue flowers surrounded by bracts. What looks like one large flower is actually a group of many small flowers. These heads strengthen its resemblance to thistles and its ornamental appeal. The contrast between silvery foliage and colourful flowers explains its presence in flower borders as well as vegetable gardens.

In the kitchen, cooked stalks have a vegetable flavour recalling artichoke, with varying bitterness. They suit gratins, sauces and stews, including certain couscous dishes and tagines. Cardoon gratin also has a place in Geneva’s culinary traditions. The texture and flavour give autumn and winter vegetable dishes a distinctive character.

Cardoon
Cardoon
Characteristics
  • Lifecycle : Perennial
  • Exposure : Full Sun
  • Frost Hardiness : Slightly Frost Sensitive
  • Cultivation Difficulty : Easy
  • Mature height : 150 cm
Sowing & Planting
  • Greenhouse Growing : Recommended
  • Sowing Depth : 2 cm
  • Plant Spacing : 30 cm
  • Row Spacing : 60 cm
Maintenance
  • Maintenance : Moderate
  • Water Requirements : Moderate
Other characteristics
  • Soil Type : Humus-rich
  • Soil pH Preference : Neutral
  • Pest Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Disease Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Weed Sensitivity : Moderate
  • Pollination : Insect-pollinated
  • Propagation : Sowing