Artichoke - Plant

The artichoke plant is a tall, thistle-like plant reaching a height of 3 to 4 feet and width of 6 feet. It blooms blue flowers if the edible bud is allowed to mature. Be cautious not to confuse the globe artichoke with Jerusalem artichoke, sometimes sold in produce markets and grown in the field for animal feed. The edible portion of a Jerusalem artichoke is the underground tuberous root.