Artichokes are perennial plants known for its tender, edible flower buds. Known as ‘Ankinara’ in Greek, its use as a vegetable is well known to the ancient Greeks and Romans who advocated it for its medicinal and health benefiting qualities. They are large in size, round in shape and green in colour.Artichoke plants thrive best where mild winters and cool, foggy summers prevail. With their large, silvery-green leaves and thick stems topped with pinecone-like flower buds, artichoke plants add a strong architectural element to vegetable garden plantings. In such growing conditions, they are perennials, yielding harvests for up to 5 years.