Plant I.D please

[new.potter]

this was growing along the side or a local road thought i may grow one in my garden for the bees?

[new.potter]

[Squash64]

It looks very much like a cardoon to me.
They grow very big and need a lot of space but the bees really love them.

[Digeroo]

Could be a globe artichoke.  Mine has just opened.  I love the electric blue.  I am not sure how to tell the difference between a cardoon and an artichoke.  I grow for the flowers rather than the eating.   I had purple headed ones (flowers still electric blue) but they did not survive the winter before last.

They both seem to have the same latin name yet do not seem to be synonymous.

[Kea]

It's a cardoon. Bee's love it.

[Squash64]

This is one of my cardoons, I think it looks the same as new potter's.
[attachment=1]

[Kea]

Same genus different species.

Globe artichoke Cynara scolymus

Cardoon Cynara cardunculus

[Jayb]

Good picture new.potter, love the bee (I think) amongst the petals  :)

Welcome to A4A  ;D

[Robert_Brenchley]

That flower looks too big for cardoon. More likely globe artichoke.