Unusual Vegetable Plants

Globe and Jerusalem Artichokes

Globe (Cynara Scolymus) and Jerusalem Artichokes (Helianthus Tuberosus) are not really in the same family of plants at all, although many people get confused by their names. Globe Artichoke are very much a gourmet dining delicacy and fantasy dish for the well to do, served in only the most expensive restaurants. The edible part of the plant is the "head" and the plant looks like a Thistle growing, but the heads should be harvested before the flower opens.

Globe Artichokes grow to about  4 feet tall and with their large quite decorative silver leaves are a spectacular plant for the vegetable patch that would look more at home in a large flower border. 

Not only are the "Heads" very time consuming and awkward to eat, but the plants are very fussy in their growing requirements with only a short life span, of a few years as well. This means that new offsets or suckers, have to be taken and planted, each year, to ensure a continuous crop. Globe Artichokes need good drainage and soil, but also need regular watering, especially if the weather is a little dry. In the Autumn the old plants have to be cut down and the crown protected from any frost by covering with leaves/straw. Also the plants will not crop in the first year.

Jerusalem Artichokes on the other hand are very tough and can be used to break up the soil in un-cultivated land in much the same way as potatoes. Unlike Globe Artichokes it is the tubers that are eaten of Jerusalem Artichokes and they can be cooked like potatoes, by mashing, creaming, roasting, boiling, chipping, etc. The roots are very knobbly and misshapen making them difficult to peel, so this is best done after boiling when the skins will fall off with a gentle rub. Jerusalem Artichokes have an unusual taste that not every one likes, but they are good for the diet conscious because they are less fattening than potatoes.

If you intend to grow them you could buy some tubers sold as vegetables in the greengrocers, but it is better to get a healthy named variety, from a garden centre where they are slowly becoming more popular. Plant them as if they were potatoes and remove all the flower buds as they develop to prevent them from flowering. When their top foliage wilts, at the end of the season, dig the tubers up like potatoes. Be careful to remove all the tubers as any left will in will grow the next season and become a menace. The foliage of Jerusalem Artichokes will grow to 4 or 5 feet for the smaller varieties and a lot more for others. Although they are very easy to grow they can be susceptible to slug damage especially in wet spells.