Artichoke
1 entry found.
Artichoke
Common Name: Artichoke
Botanical Name: Cynara scolymus (SIN-a-ra SKO-li-mus)
Decorative Life: From 7-25 days.
Post Harvest Care:
- Remove bottom leaves if present, recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution.
Family Roots:
- Member of the Asteraceae or Compositae (aster or sunflower) family.
- Native to the Mediterranean region and the Canary Islands.
- Related species include sunflower, daisy, gerbera and chrysanthemum.
Personality:
- Flower head is up to 2 inches across, composed of green, tightly overlapping bracts from which emerge purple tassel-like flowers.
- Stems are 20-24 inches long.
- Plant is a large herbaceous perennial, classed as a dicotyledon, leaves not parallel veined.
- Flowers have no fragrance.
Availability: Summer-fall.
Flower Color: Purple-blue.
Tidbits:
- The edible portion is also used in flower arrangements and is classified as a vegetable, not a fruit, since it is composed of an enlarged receptacle and thickened base of bracts or modified leaves. Fruit developes from flowers.
- Cynara is in reference to the spines below the flower which are likened to dog's teeth.
- The Compositae or aster family is vast, with over 20,000 species, and is also one of the most developed families. It was named Compositae because the flowers are actually a "composite" of many individual flowers into one head. Hence, when children pull one "petal" off at a time, saying "she/he loves me, loves me not", they are actually removing a complete flower, not just a petal.
- Can be used as dried flower. Either let them dry on the plant or remove in full bloom and hang them in a dry, hot area for drying.
- After drying, the flowers can be coated or sprayed with shellac or paint .