Artichoke

This vegetable grows to 1.4-2 m (4.66.6 ft) tall, with arching, deeply lobed, silvery, glaucous-green leaves 50-82 cm (20-32 in) long. The flowers develop in a large head from an edible bud about 8-15 cm (3-6 in) diameter with numerous triangular scales; the individual florets are purple. The edible portions of the buds consist primarily of the fleshy lower portions of the involucral bracts and the base, known as the "heart"; the mass of immature florets in the center of the bud is called the "choke" or beard. These are inedible in older, larger flowers. Artichokes can be produced from seeds or from vegetative means such as division, root cuttings, or micro-propagation. Though technically perennials that normally produce the edible flower during only the second and subsequent years, certain varieties of artichokes can be grown from seed as annuals, producing a limited harvest at the end of the first growing season, even in regions where the plants are not normally winter-hardy. This means home gardeners in northern regions can attempt to produce a crop without the need to overwinter plants with special treatment or protection. The recently introduced seed cultivar 'Imperial Star' has been bred to produce in the first year without such measures. An even newer cultivar, 'Northern Star', is said to be able to overwinter in more northerly climates, and readily survives subzero temperatures