It grows to 1.5-2 m tall, with arching, deeply lobed, silvery glaucous-green leaves 50-80 cm long.
The flowers develop in a large head from an edible bud about 8 -15 cm diameter with numerous triangular scales; the individual florets are purple.
The edible portion of the buds consists primarily of the fleshy lower portions of the involucral bracts and the base, known as the "heart"; the mass of inedible immature florets in the centre of the bud are called the "choke."
First remove about four of the toughest outer leaves, then place the artichoke at the edge of a table so that the stalk overlaps the edge. Grasp the stalk and snap away the stem, removing also some of the tough fibres running up into the base.
Remove the inedible choke: carefully spread the leaves apart until you come to the central cone of thinner, lightly coloured leaves.
Pull this cone out in one piece and underneath it you'll find the hairy 'choke' scrape this all out of the heart with a teaspoon, and add a little lemon juice to stop the inside discolouring.
Rinse out the artichokes and leave them upside down in some cold water
Add some more lemon juice (about 1 tablespoon to 2 pints /1.2 litres of water) until you are ready to cook them.
Don't boil artichokes in iron or aluminium pans, as this can discolour them.
Have your chosen pan ready filled with salted boiling water, with a tablespoon of lemon juice or white wine vinegar added.
Gently boil the artichokes, uncovered, for about 30-40 minutes or until one of the outer leaves pulls away easily and the bases feel tender when tested with a skewer.
Drain the artichokes upside down in a colander, shaking them to get rid of the excess water.
To serve warm, Hollandaise Sauce or hot lemon butter, which is simply the juice and grated rind of a lemon plus 6 oz (175g) butter, melted together until bubbling and poured immediately in the cavity of each artichoke.
For serving cold, either Vinaigrette Dressing or some home-made mayonnaise with garlic.