What Plant Is This?

[bitShifter_]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here. I have a little plot in north-central / central Scotland, and I thought I'd join up because I love growing and am really excited about the coming year.

So I inherited my plot from someone else who has moved on now. There were quite a few things growing that I have managed to identify but I'm not sure what this is... Does anyone know?

Thanks!

[mothhawk]

Welcome to the vine, bitShifter. It looks like a globe artichoke to me.

[Martin H]

Either a cardoon or a globe artichoke, I reckon.

[mothhawk]

Or it might be a cardoon, they look quite similar I think, though I've never grown either.

Oops, cross posted with Martin

[Martin H]

Apparently they are both varieties of the same animal: Cardoons and artichokes? They all boil down to the same thing - Telegraph

[lottie dolly]

Looks rather like my cardoons,don't know about artichokes,but going off the bottom of the plant,it looks like like it has some of the bottom stalks still on,grew mine from seed,1 plant,after several years,it appears to have several plants all together,and gets very big,the bees love the thistle like flowers,

[bitShifter_]

Hmm artichokes huh? Thanks a lot everyone. Your comments were very helpful!

I have to figure out how to use them now... Are the roots edible? I'm a total newbie to this plant!

[bitShifter_]

I realise that was a pretty stupid thing to ask, but now I can't delete my post... so oh well! I guess what I meant to say was is it only the flower that's edible?

[veggiechicken]

Hello and welcome to the Grapevine.
You eat the flower buds of Globe artichokes - they are a delicacy!!
Have a read of Growing Artichokes | How To Grow | Grow Your Own but ignore all the references to Jerusalem Artichokes (where you eat the tubers that form on the roots).

[hamamelis]

Globe artichokes you eat part of the flower buds, it's the -totally unrelated and different in every way- Jerusalem artichokes you eat the tubers of. They're a bit complicated to eat, so I'd recommend finding good cooking instructions before you try!

Cardoons are grown for the leaf stems, and are a bit of an out of fashion unusual vegetable, so I'd guess it's more likely to be an artichoke.

Technically you probably can eat the flower buds of cardoon, or the leaf stems of artichokes, but they're presumably not as good, or as big.

[bitShifter_]

Hello veggiechicken, thanks for the welcome

Ah OK, I think I was confusing them with Jerusalem artichokes like you say. I've read up on Jerusalem Artichokes now and it seems to not be an artichoke at all but a type of sunflower!

Thanks for the links veggiechicken, and the info hamamelis! These plants haven't grown flowers yet so I might try and give them a bit of TLC to see if they get anywhere.

[veggiechicken]

Its early days yet for flowers. I don't grow them myself, but I believe they die back in winter and put on new growth in the spring.
You may find other surprises waiting for you. Any sign of rhubarb yet?

[hamamelis]

Double post, never mind.

[Bill HH]

Regardless of artichokes welcome to the vine.

[bitShifter_]

Ah yeah, having looked into it more it sounds like you are entirely right, veggiechicken. None yet but I suppose we will see!

Thanks for the welcome Bill