Heirloom Seeds_Green Globe_Artichoke_Bucktown Seed Company_01

Green Globe - Artichoke Seeds

SKU: VAE101
Open-Pollinated
Heirloom
$3.16 $3.95
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Green Globe artichoke is an old garden variety grown for large green buds with thick scales, tender hearts, and the stately look of a Mediterranean thistle. The plants form bold silver-green foliage that can be beautiful enough for an edible border, especially in mild climates where they return as perennials.

Harvest the buds while tight for steaming, grilling, roasting, or dipping leaf by leaf at the table. If a few buds are left to open, they become large purple thistle flowers that draw pollinators and add a wild, architectural note to the garden.

Scientific name: Cynara scolymus
Life cycle: Perennial
Days to maturity: 75-85 from transplant days from sowing
Harvest type: Flower buds

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Unopened items may be returned within 30 days of delivery. If an order arrives damaged, incomplete, or incorrect, please contact us so we can make it right.

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We stand behind every packet we sell. Our seeds are carefully selected, tested for germination, untreated, and guaranteed to be true to variety.

Your seeds are covered for one year from the date of purchase. If they fail to germinate under reasonable growing conditions, arrive damaged, or do not grow true to type, contact us and we’ll make it right with a replacement, store credit, or refund.

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FAMILY OWNED

Hand packed in Pennsylvania by our family.

LAB TESTED

Third-party tested for reliable germination.

NON-GMO

Open-pollinated varieties for home gardens & seed saving.

UNTREATED SEED

Never coated with chemical seed treatments.

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Artichoke Growing Basics

Artichokes have been cultivated around the Mediterranean for centuries, where their broad silver-green leaves and tightly layered flower buds became both a kitchen crop and a striking part of the garden. The portion we eat is the unopened flower head, harvested before it begins to spread and bloom.

In mild climates, artichokes can grow as short-lived perennials. In colder regions, they are often treated as annuals and started early enough to produce buds in a single season. They need room, fertile soil, steady moisture, and a long stretch of growth before harvest.

Start artichoke seed indoors about 10–12 weeks before the expected last spring frost. Seedlings grow slowly at first, so an early start is important where the growing season is limited.

For annual production, young plants often need a period of cool temperatures before planting out so they respond as though they have passed through winter. Harden seedlings gradually and transplant after severe frost has passed and the soil has begun to warm.

Where artichokes are grown as perennials, plants may be set out in spring and allowed to establish before winter.

Sow seeds about ¼ inch deep in individual pots or large cells filled with moist seed-starting mix. Keep the soil warm and evenly moist until seedlings emerge, usually within one to three weeks.

Provide strong light and move seedlings into larger containers before they become root-bound. Artichokes develop large root systems early and benefit from steady, uninterrupted growth.

Harden plants gradually before transplanting. Space them about 3–4 feet apart in rows 4–6 feet apart, allowing enough room for their broad leaves and branching flower stalks.

Choose a site in full sun with deep, fertile, well-drained soil enriched with finished compost. Artichokes are heavy, long-season plants and grow best where moisture remains steady without leaving the roots waterlogged.

Water deeply during dry weather and mulch around the plants to conserve moisture, limit weeds, and protect the soil. Keep mulch slightly away from the crown to reduce the chance of rot.

In perennial plantings, remove weak or crowded side shoots so the strongest crowns have room to grow. After harvest, plants may produce new shoots from the base. In cold climates, artichokes may not survive winter outdoors without substantial protection.

Harvest artichokes while the flower heads are firm, compact, and still tightly closed. Cut the main bud first, leaving several inches of stem attached. Smaller side buds usually develop afterward and can be gathered as they reach usable size.

Do not wait until the scales begin to spread widely or the center starts turning purple, since the bud becomes tougher as flowering begins. If a few heads are left to bloom, they open into large purple flowers that attract bees and other pollinators.

View Full Artichoke Growing Guide