NEW FOR 2010!! Cardoon has been grown as a vegetable in France and was brought to North America in the 1790's by French Quakers, though it never caught on widely here. Whether you eat it or not, it's worth growing for its sheer ornamental value. The plants grow to a statuesqye 4-6' with huge, serrated leaves that are a silvery-grey and giant purple thistlehead flowers. The stalks are eaten in soups, stews and salads and are often tied up to blanche.