Cynara cardunculus syn. Cynara cardunculus Cardoon

It’s like a bee maze 😄🐝 #bee #wildlifewednesday #cardoon #cynara-cardunculus #cynaracardunculus #cynara

Normally these are about 10ft tall, but the recent wind has made one of the stems lean forward significantly - can get right close to flowers with my phone now rather than using the zoom on my SLR from below!

Wow!! Thanks for sharing this beaut!! @richard.spicer.7906

@Richard.spicer.7906............ Brilliant photo Richard ........ love it .

This is incredible! Like an alien sea urchin!!

Wow such an intense blue 💙💙

Pretty

Wow!! That's amazing. Great photo 💙💙💜

Thanks everyone 😊 sorry taken ages to reply, haven’t had much time outside work at the moment. @saco @gjones @johninbrighton @houseofflowers @carolgs @laketitlow @midnightgardener

The last one for today, and from the garden. The sun has come out finally in Hertfordshire and these cardoon flowers are looking great. It was only a month ago that they were covered in blackfly, but ladybird larvae and other natural predators have been rampaging through them and it seems to have worked well #cardoon #cynara #cynara-cardunculus

Ohhh that's why I got so fed up with mine and dug it out - permanently covered in blackfly. Glad the ladybirds came to the rescue in your garden though! X

Well certainly looking fabulous now 👏🐞😍

They look fabulous. Anyone else suffering badly with blackfly this year ? Any remedies ? Tried hose spraying but not really successful

Well done nature

I must admit it looked dreadful @clipperty - but I could see the larvae and I thought I'd give it a couple of weeks and see if it improves, and it's about 80% better. You can still see some of the Blackfly 'debrie' just below the flowers. They are still there a little bit but not quite so unsightly now

@wenz have you tried spraying with a mild soapy washing liquid solution? That might help a little and is organic still 👍🏼

Lovely 💜💜💜 Waiting for my flowers to pop open. I've given mine a bit of a tidy up as some of the lower leaves were looking very unsightly but what a monster of a plant ☺

My #cardoon is huge this year!! 😳 it's only the beginning of May and it's already 1.5 metres tall. It's completely shadowing the Camassia, Foxtail Lily and Alliums towards the front of the border. It's gonna be some display when the flowers appear 😀 #cynara #cynara-cardunculus

One of my favourite plants, looking good.

That looks wonderful!

They are so statuesque. Years ago I opened my garden for the NGS, the most asked question was - What's that? (Of the cardoon)! Xx

Wow that going to be spectacular 💜

Looks great Rich

I have one waiting to go in the garden. Can it go out now @richard.spicer.7906 I think it would fair better outside

Close up of the flower. I had to stand on a dining room chair to see it fully! #cynara #cardoon #purple #cynara-cardunculus

😳🙄🙃 Hi Richard, Welcome to my world! I need to get the ladder out, each time to take snaps 😏 I'm thinking maybe I need to invest in a drone 🤔 😊😉👍 looking good 👌

Love it Richard 😍

Oh wow Richard thats amazing 😍

Great picture🤗

Great photo 😃👏They are so eye-catching...first saw them in a botanical garden and made my jaw drop!

Beautiful, but I have to stand on a dining room chair just to reach the plates in kitchen cabinets😂.

👍🏼😀👌🏻

I love these they remind me of Scotland Christmas

#tagitgreen

Just looking out of the kitchen window and noticed the Cardoon is now flowering 😁 - it's about 6ft tall. However, the rest of the dry border seems to be a little tired looking and green right now. I may need to make a few tweaks come late autumn. Somewhere behind the Golden Rod on the right is my Californian Tree Poppy and my Echinops! 😑 #cardoon #cynara #cynara-cardunculus

Gorgeous @richard.spicer.7906

My Cardoon at the weekend, enjoying the winter sun ☀️ #cynara #cynara-cardunculus #cardoon

#newgrowth

@richard.spicer.7906 👏🏼👌looking good. I'll post a snap later of mine currently growing 🙃

Looking good @richard.spicer.7906 👍🤓

@lamaisonbleueoleron - he's my young Cardoon, although it's now under the protection of one of my mini cloches 🤓 #cynara #cynara-cardunculus #cardoon

Planted 15th November

Hope it takes off Richard x

How is now ?