The Best Cardoon Varieties to Grow: Flavor, Size, and Garden Performance

Cardoon is one of the most dramatic vegetables I grow in my Sonoma garden—towering, silver-leaved, and surprisingly productive once you learn how to manage it. Over the years I’ve trialed several varieties, looking for the best balance of flavor, manageable size, and strong performance in a warm-summer climate. Here are the varieties that stand out for home gardeners.

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Why Variety Matters

Cardoon varieties differ in vigor, bitterness, stem width, and even how easily they blanch. Some grow into massive architectural plants fit for the back of the garden; others stay a bit more contained. After years of growing them in raised beds and mounded rows, I’ve learned that choosing the right variety can mean the difference between a manageable, delicious plant and one that takes over a bed and still delivers stringy stems.

1. ‘Gobbo di Nizza’ (Hunchback of Nice)

This is my favorite variety for flavor and tenderness. ‘Gobbo di Nizza’ produces curved, deeply ribbed stems that blanch beautifully. When tied and wrapped for a couple of weeks, the stalks turn mild, nutty, and reminiscent of artichoke heart.

Why I grow it:

Best overall eating quality
Blanches more easily than other varieties
Strong, upright growth that’s easier to tie and manage

In my garden, this variety is the most reliable for holiday cooking.

2. ‘Porto Spineless’

A great choice if you’re new to cardoon. The stems are thick, pale, and nearly free of spines—an advantage when tying and blanching.

My experience:
This variety doesn’t get quite as huge as others, making it ideal for smaller raised beds. The stalks are mild when blanched and hold up well in gratins and braises.

3. ‘Bianco Avorio’ (White Ivory)

Known for its bright, ivory-colored stalks, this is an excellent culinary cardoon. The stems are long, straight, and easier to peel than some ribbed types.

Garden notes:
In my warm-climate beds, ‘Bianco Avorio’ grows tall and full but not overly sprawling. The flavor is clean and vegetal—very good for traditional Italian dishes.

4. ‘Cardoon Gigante’ (Giant Cardoon)

As the name suggests, this one grows big. Very big. If you want a plant that becomes an architectural centerpiece, this is the one.

My impression:
The stems are plentiful and wide, but they require careful blanching to reduce bitterness. I grow it more for visual impact than for flavor, but it still produces a large harvest for the kitchen.

5. Standard Heirloom Cardoon (Wild-Type Selections)

Many seed houses offer unnamed, wild-type cardoon selections. These often resemble the parent species: vigorous, somewhat spiny, and intensely flavored.

From my trials:
They’re rugged and drought-tolerant, but the stalks can be more fibrous. Best for experienced growers or gardeners who want a very hardy thistle-like perennial.

How to Choose the Right Variety

Based on years of growing cardoon near the Mediterranean-like climate of Sonoma, here’s how to decide:

For best flavor: ‘Gobbo di Nizza’
For easiest handling: ‘Porto Spineless’
For a balance of flavor and size: ‘Bianco Avorio’
For ornamental impact: ‘Cardoon Gigante’
For toughest plant: Wild-type heirloom

If you’re new to cardoon, start with one plant of ‘Gobbo di Nizza’ or ‘Porto Spineless’ and learn how to blanch and harvest. Once you know how the plant behaves in your garden, you can branch out into more vigorous or unusual types.