Cardoons

[TillyTots]

Hi everyone

We regularly get fresh veg delivered, and since we don't know what to do with Cardoons, are they safe for a Russian tortoise to eat?

 

[Maro2Bear]

Wow, thats a new one on me “cardoon”...

The cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), also called the artichoke thistle, is a thistle in the sunflower family. It is a naturally occurring species that also has many cultivated forms, including the globe artichoke. It is native to the western and central Mediterranean region, where it was domesticated in ancient times and still occurs as a wild plant.

From The Tortoise Table

• Common Name: Globe Artichoke (Cardoon)
• Latin Name: Cynara scolymus; Cynara cardunculus
• Family Name: Asteraceae/Compositae

There are no known hazards with either the Globe Artichoke or its close relative, the Cardoon, and tortoises can safely eat all parts of the plant.
N.B. Do not confuse with Jerusalem Artichoke, which is closely related to the Sunflower.

 

[RosemaryDW]

All the artichokes are fine.

@Maro2Bear, cardoons are quite invasive here so hopefully you won’t see them often!

 

[Tom]

Wow, thats a new one on me “cardoon”...

The cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), also called the artichoke thistle, is a thistle in the sunflower family. It is a naturally occurring species that also has many cultivated forms, including the globe artichoke. It is native to the western and central Mediterranean region, where it was domesticated in ancient times and still occurs as a wild plant.

From The Tortoise Table

• Common Name: Globe Artichoke (Cardoon)
• Latin Name: Cynara scolymus; Cynara cardunculus
• Family Name: Asteraceae/Compositae

There are no known hazards with either the Globe Artichoke or its close relative, the Cardoon, and tortoises can safely eat all parts of the plant.
N.B. Do not confuse with Jerusalem Artichoke, which is closely related to the Sunflower.

Me too Mark. I've never even heard of this one.

 

[RosemaryDW]

They are edible; apparently you eat the stem?

They are also very pretty, which is why they are/were common in gardens in other countries and now invasive here. I’m pretty sure you’ve seen them @Tom, maybe without knowing what they are. They are the large and very pretty thistles with huge spikes that grow in our fields. My community is working to eradicate them in certain areas, so that native plants can grow. I find the leaves to be a little more dusty gray than in this photo.

They are just now getting a hold in the fields near me, after our rains.