Perennial Artichoke Plants

Green Globe

• Green globe artichokes have a 3 to 5 inch diameter and are often referred to as "globe" artichokes. The heart of the vegetable has a rich buttery taste with meaty petal bases. The preferred method of propagation is through the division of crowns or shoots, since the plants produced from seed differ in quality from the green globe variety, which is produced by division in the main artichoke producing state, California.

Imperial Star

• The imperial star artichoke is a hybrid of the globe artichoke introduced in 1991. The green, thornless vegetable with slight purple shading was developed by Schrader and Mayberry of the California Cooperative Extension Service. The imperial star variety has gained in popularity due to its wide adaptability to different climatic conditions. The imperial star artichoke is among the most commonly grown varieties in the coastal areas of southern California and the California and Arizona desert areas.

Emerald

• The emerald variety is among the new artichoke varieties developed by the D. Palmer Seed Co. The vegetable has slightly angular buds when grown during very warm weather and is well adapted to growing in both the coastal and inland valley regions of California. Experiments at Oregon State University established the variety as maturing earlier than the imperial star.

Mercury

• Mercury artichokes are among the petite-sized varieties of the vegetable. The artichokes have a distinct round top and a red-violet shade. Mercury artichokes are about 3 1/2 inches in diameter, with a very sweet taste. The variety has been derived from the Italian romanesco artichoke variety.

Omaha

• Omaha artichokes have a 6-inch diameter and are slightly bitter in taste. The variety has a distinct red and green foliage that is sharply tapered.