User:Ettrig/Sandbox2

Odling

Kronärtskockans ursprung är okänt. Men den sägs ofta komma från Maghreb (Nordafrika). Där kan de fortfarande påträffas i vilt tillstånd. Vid utgrävningar av lämningar från romartiden i stenbrottet Mons Claudianus i östra delen av Egyptens ökenområden har man funnit frön från kronärtskockor som troligtvis var odlade. Names for the artichoke in many European languages come from the Arabic الخرشوف al-khurshūf.

 The cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), a naturally occurring variant of the same species, is native to the South Mediterranean, even though it has not been mentioned in extant classic literature. Artichokes were cultivated in Sicily since the time of the ancient Greeks, the Greeks calling them kaktos. In this period, the leaves and flower heads, which cultivation had already improved from the wild form, were eaten. The Romans, who called the vegetable carduus, received the plant from the Greeks. Further improvement in the cultivated form appears to have taken place in the Muslim period in the Maghreb, although the evidence is inferential only.

Globe artichokes are known to have been cultivated at Naples around the middle of the 9th century. Modern scholar Le Roy Ladurie, in his book Les Paysans de Languedoc, has documented the spread of the artichoke:

"The blossom of the thistle, improved by the Arabs, passed from Naples to Florence in 1466, carried by Filippo Strozzi. Towards 1480 it is noticed in Venice, as a curiosity. But very soon veers towards the northwest...Artichoke beds are mentioned in Avignon by the notaries from 1532 onward; from the principle [sic] towns they spread into the hinterlands...appearing as carchofas at Cavaillon in 1541, at Chateauneuf du Pape in 1553, at Orange in 1554. The local name remains carchofas, from the Italian carciofo...They are very small, the size of a hen's egg...and are still considered a luxury, a vaguely aphrodisiac tidbit that one preserved in sugar syrup."

The Dutch introduced artichokes to England, where they grew in Henry VIII's garden at Newhall in 1530. They were brought to the United States in the 19th century, to Louisiana by French immigrants and to California by Spanish immigrants. The name has originated from the Arabic al-kharshof, through a northern Italian dialect word, articiocco.

Artichoke output in 2005

An artichoke flower

Today, globe artichoke cultivation is concentrated in the countries bordering the Mediterranean basin. The main European producers are Italy, Spain, and France. In the United States, California provides nearly 100% of the U.S. crop, and approximately 80 percent of that is grown in Monterey County; there, Castroville proclaims itself to be "The Artichoke Center of the World", and holds an annual artichoke festival. According to FAO, the top 10 artichoke producing countries are (in metric tonnes (2009)):

1. Italy 486,600
2. Spain 198,900
3. Egypt 180,000
4. Peru 144,317
5. Argentina 90,293
6. China 67,000
7. Morocco 64,610
8. United States of America 50,710
9. France 46,752
10. Chile 44,600

Artichokes can be produced from seeds or from vegetative means such as division, root cuttings or micropropagation. Though, in technical sense, they are perennials that normally produce the edible flower only during the second and subsequent years, certain varieties of artichoke can be grown from seed as annuals, producing a limited harvest at the end of the first growing season, even in regions where the plants are not normally winter-hardy. This means that home gardeners in northern regions can attempt to produce a crop without the need to overwinter plants with special treatment or protection. The recently introduced seed cultivar "Imperial Star" has been bred to produce in the first year without such measures. An even newer cultivar, "Northern Star", is said to be able to overwinter in more northerly climates, and readily survive subzero temperatures.

Artichoke field

Commercial culture is limited to warm areas in USDA hardiness zone 7 and above. It requires good soil, regular watering and feeding, plus frost protection in winter. Rooted suckers can be planted each year, so mature specimens can be disposed of after a few years, as each individual plant lives only a few years. The peak season for artichoke harvesting is the spring, but artichokes continue to be harvested throughout the summer, with another peak period in mid-autumn.

The artichoke is an important winter vegetable in Mediterranean cultures - Dansa de la carxofa in Algemesí, Valencian Country

When harvesting, they are cut from the plant so as to leave an inch or two of stem. Artichokes possess good keeping qualities, frequently remaining quite fresh for two weeks or longer under average retail conditions.

Apart from food use, the globe artichoke is also an attractive plant for its bright floral display, sometimes grown in herbaceous borders for its bold foliage and large purple flower heads.