Chinese Artichoke, Artichoke betony
Stachys affinis

Family: Lamiaceae or Labiatae

What it is like

Stachys affinis is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.5 m (1ft 8in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5 and is not frost tender. It is in leaf from May to November, in flower from July to August. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and prefers well-drained soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 0.5

Where it is found

Wet and submersed areas; 0-3200 m. Gansu, Hebei, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Xinjiang

E. Asia - China, Japan.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Tubers - raw or cooked. Quite a pleasant mild flavour and easily digested, but fairly small and fiddly, they are about 5 - 8cm long and 2cm wide. A nutty artichoke-like flavour, it can be eaten raw on its own, be added to salads or be lightly cooked. The tubers quickly discolour when exposed to the air and are said to lose their flavour if they are peeled. It is best to harvest them as required. Yields are about 1kg per square metre. Leaves - cooked. A famine food, they are only used when all else fails.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The dried and powdered root is anodyne. The entire plant has been used in the treatment of colds and pneumonia.

Anodyne: Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.

Other

Rating:

Food Forest: Plants for Edible Forest Gardens and Food Forests.

How it is grown

Prefers a well-drained soil in a sunny position. Thrives in an ordinary garden soil, preferring one that is not too heavy. It grows best in a soil that has been well fed and does not dry out in the growing season. Plants seem to withstand even water-logged conditions in the winter. The Chinese artichoke is occasionally cultivated for its edible tubers, they are planted out in March and harvested from October onwards. Although top growth is killed back by frost, the tubers are very hardy and can be left in the ground over winter to be harvested as required. It is virtually impossible to find all the tubers, there are always some left behind that will grow the following season. Plants are very tolerant of high summer temperatures. The tubers begin to sprout at temperatures above about 5°c. Plants take 5 - 7 months to develop their tubers. Plants rarely flower in Britain. For polyculture design as well as the above-ground architecture (form - tree, shrub etc. and size shown above) information on the habit and root pattern is also useful and given here if available. The plant growth habit is a runner spreading indefinitely by rhizomes or stolons. The root pattern is rhizomatous with underground stems sending roots and shoots along their length.

Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle. If sufficient growth has been made, it is possible to plant them out during the summer, otherwise grow them on in pots for their first summer, leaving the tubers in the pots to overwinter in a cold frame and then plant out in late spring when in active growth. Seed is rarely if ever produced on plants growing in Britain. Division. The tubers can be harvest and replanted at any time whilst they are dormant. They do start into growth fairly early in the year so it is better to have moved them by the end of March.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: Semi-shade, no shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

S. sieboldii. S. tuberifera.