Artichoke

Family: Asteraceae Flowering vegetable

Planting Schedule

Provide your location or planting zone to unlock dates and add Artichoke to a garden.

Unfurling into regal, globe-like buds with a silken, silvery-green sheen, Artichoke offers a tender, richly savory promise in every tightly layered bract.

The mature heads feel substantial and firm to the touch, yet yield with a delicate, nuanced bite that shines in classic preparations—roasted for deep caramel notes, steamed for gentle sweetness, or folded into creamy sauces and preserved for bright, tangy accents. Grow it for a long-season spectacle and a harvest that feels like a garden treasure from the first showy bud to the last lingering plume.

Light: Full SunMaturity: 150 DaysHabit: Clumping

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Artichoke Planting Dates by USDA Zone

Estimated US hardiness-zone windows for sow, transplant, and harvest. Enter a US ZIP above for exact local dates, or open a zone below.

Zone	Start Indoors	Sow / Transplant	Harvest
Zone 1a	Mar 23rd	Jun 1st	Oct 29th – Jul 15th
Zone 1b	Mar 9th	May 18th	Oct 15th – Aug 1st
Zone 2a	Mar 2nd	May 11th	Oct 8th – Aug 29th
Zone 2b	Feb 20th	May 1st	Sep 28th – Aug 25th
Zone 3a	Feb 20th	May 1st	Sep 28th – Sep 1st
Zone 3b	Feb 24th	May 5th	Oct 2nd – Sep 21st
Zone 4a	Feb 20th	May 1st	Sep 28th – Sep 24th
Zone 4b	Feb 18th	Apr 29th	Sep 26th – Sep 27th
Zone 5a	Feb 13th	Apr 24th	Sep 21st – Sep 30th
Zone 5b	Feb 9th	Apr 20th	Sep 17th – Oct 5th
Zone 6a	Feb 6th	Apr 17th	Sep 14th – Oct 10th
Zone 6b	Jan 31st	Apr 11th	Sep 8th – Oct 16th
Zone 7a	Jan 26th	Apr 6th	Sep 3rd – Oct 20th
Zone 7b	Jan 16th	Mar 27th	Aug 24th – Oct 28th
Zone 8a	Jan 7th	Mar 18th	Aug 15th – Nov 5th
Zone 8b	Dec 29th	Mar 9th	Aug 6th – Nov 12th
Zone 9a	Dec 12th	Feb 20th	Jul 20th – Nov 26th
Zone 9b	Nov 17th	Jan 26th	Jun 25th – Dec 9th
Zone 10a	—	Oct 1st	Feb 28th – Feb 28th
Zone 10b	—	Oct 1st	Feb 28th – Feb 28th
Zone 11a	—	Oct 1st	Feb 28th – Feb 28th
Zone 11b	—	Oct 1st	Feb 28th – Feb 28th
Zone 12a	—	Oct 1st	Feb 28th – Feb 28th
Zone 12b	—	Oct 1st	Feb 28th – Feb 28th
Zone 13a	—	Oct 1st	Feb 28th – Feb 28th
Zone 13b	—	Oct 1st	Feb 28th – Feb 28th

Crop Details

Trait	Value
Days to Maturity	150
Sun Requirements	Full Sun
Growth Habit	Clumping
Support Needed	None
Planting Depth	Normal
Germination Temp (°F)	70
Min Soil Temp (°F)	40
Min Night Temp (°F)	35
Harden Off (days)	7

Culinary Notes

Chef's Note

Choose this for its tightly layered bracts that go from firm to luxuriously tender without collapsing—ideal for roasting where the nuttiness turns caramel-bitter at the edges. Its bittersweet core loves acid and fat, so lemon and butter/olive oil aren’t garnish here—they’re the mechanism that makes the flavor click.

Best Uses

roast until the outer bracts blister for caramelized edges and pull-apart tenderness
steam or braise, then dress with lemon, olive oil, and a salty finish
fold into creamy sauces (ridged pasta, gratins) where the fibers go silky
marinate/pickle for tangy, briny bites that cut richness

Flavor Profile

nutty, grassy savor silken-brined tenderness gentle sweetness with a bittersweet edge creamy-chestnut mouthfeel when cooked

Kitchen Pairings

lemon olive oil Parmesan butter

Frequently Asked Questions

What pest or disease commonly affects artichokes (Cynara cardunculus), and what should I do?

Artichokes are especially prone to gray mold (Botrytis) during cool, damp weather, which shows up as fuzzy gray growth on buds and leaves. Remove and discard affected leaves or buds immediately, improve airflow by spacing plants, and avoid wetting the foliage when watering. If the problem keeps returning, apply a labeled fungicide appropriate for edible plants in your area and keep the bed from staying soggy.

How often should I water artichokes during the main growing phase?

During active growth, keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged—aim for about 1–2 inches of water per week, adjusting for heat and rainfall. Water deeply so moisture reaches the crown and root zone, and let the top 1–2 inches of soil dry slightly between waterings to prevent rot. Consistent moisture helps produce firm, well-filled heads; irregular watering can lead to loose or poor-quality buds.

How can I tell when artichokes are ready to harvest?

Harvest when the bud is fully sized but before the inner bracts loosen—pick when the bracts are tight and the tips are still mostly closed. In Cynara cardunculus, heads are typically ready around 150 days from transplanting or sowing (timing varies by start method and temperature). Use a sharp knife to cut the bud 1–3 inches below the base, and expect additional smaller side shoots after the first harvest.