The aboveground parts of the plant die each year after flowers are formed; new shoots arise the next season to produce rosettes of deeply cut, woolly leaves up to 1 m (3.3 feet) long; later, sturdy, branched flower stalks rise; their flowers are purplish. After four to eight years the cluster of rosettes from a crown becomes crowded, and the size and quality of the heads become reduced. The plant is then renewed by planting divisions of the crown or rooted offshoots. The mature flower heads produce seeds, but the seedlings do not necessarily resemble the variety of the parent plant.

The artichoke is native to the western and central Mediterranean, whence it was carried to the eastern Mediterranean in ancient times. At that time the young leaves rather than the immature flower heads were eaten; the edible-flower form was first recorded in Italy about 1400. Today it is extensively cultivated in California, France, Belgium, the Mediterranean countries, and other regions with the necessary rich soil and mild, humid climate.

The artichoke's flavour is delicate and nutlike, and the smaller heads, or buds, are usually the most tender. Artichoke heads are served as a hot vegetable with a sauce or as a cold salad or appetizer.

The Jerusalem artichoke (q.v.) is a tuber and does not resemble the artichoke.