Artichoke thistle (Asclepias nardostachys) is a deciduous perennial plant also known as artichoke. It is native to Europe and Asia and now naturalized in most of North America. For some time it was considered a weed. However, recent research indicates that it may have important health benefits. Vegetables gardens can benefit from this plant by planting the leaves and stalks in a bed with other beneficial plants such as alfalfa and chickpeas.

The two-stemmed artichoke thistle (Acorus calamus) has dark green leaves with large, dark green stems. The flowers are small, white-colored, and up to four cables hang from the center of the flower. The plant is self-sowing, so the young shoots are connected at the base so they will grow up into leaves. It has longish narrow blooms up to five inches long. The flowers and leaves are used in soups, sauces and stews.

The Mediterranean plants and herbs that benefit most from artichoke thistle are: cardoon plants, dahlias, gardenia, anise, sweet marigolds, bay laurel, chervil, and thyme. These are plants that are best kept in beds, in soil that is well-drained, full of sunshine and fertilizer free. They are a hardy, fairly slow-growing perennial that prefers rich soil, full of nitrogen. In the southern U.S., the plant deters mosquitoes from laying eggs in the late summer and fall.

It is recommended that these plants be divided for sale or given away during the winter so they do not go to seed. Buy your California artichoke thistle from a reputable seed bank or nursery that specializes in medicinal herbs, culinary herbs, vegetable gardening, and wild plant and landscape improvement. California, particularly the bay area, is very popular for growing this type of herb, but it can be found growing in other areas of California as well. A variety of colors and cultivars are available, so you may end up with a plant that you did not expect.

One interesting thing about the California artichoke thistle plant, and a lot of the other ornamental plants in the garden, is that they are grazing animals. Grasses in the desert bloom at the edge of a dune or desert vegetation. They munch on the plants to help them take root and grow. If you have a nice little patch of dune grassland in your yard, you might want to consider trying grazing plant in your yard as a hobby.

To care for your grazing artichoke thistle, you should make sure they have lots of sunlight, water, and are kept watered at all times. You can even move your plants around if you like, but only during the cooler times of the year. The leaves will start to curl up on the stems when the plants are not being fed. If you move the plants around, you will cause stress to the plant, which could cause new growth that is crooked and irregular. It will also take more time for the plant to grow if you move it around too much.

You can purchase special insecticide and weed killers from most gardening stores. There are natural or organic forms of these chemicals available as well, and many people choose to use these instead. Organic pest control methods are considered to be safer for the environment and are usually less toxic to plants than chemically based ones. Weed eaters, however, do not feed the plant and will not get their leaves or other parts, but they will help control the weeds that would otherwise take over your yard. Many people prefer to use these methods over chemical methods because they are safer for the plant and animals.

When you are ready to harvest your plants, make sure you first remove all of the weeds from around your plants. Then, use a sharp knife to cut the plants into two-inch sections and separate the seeds from the rest of the plant. Harvest the seeds at this point, but leave the larger, thicker leaves and stems in the pot in order to produce new artichoke thistle for feeding. Feed the plants the resprout and water as directed on the package.