When produce goes bad

Once it got fairly large, the leaf structure convinced me that it was most likely an Artichoke, definitely not a native plant. But there was something odd about it still, it was much more prickly looking than the Artichoke plants I'd seen before. Once it started blooming I was even more convinced it was related though, so I did some research and discovered that Artichokes can go feral.

If you've ever looked at an Artichoke it's easy to see it belongs to the thistle family. When they are left to self pollinate over a couple of generations, they revert back to their super prickly past. This example was particularly large and healthy, and although they are actually considered an invasive species and a pest, quite beautiful.

Of course I've always been a fan of thistles, in my hometown it was not unusual for Russian Thistles to grow on our farm. As a teenager I worked with my Uncle on a cattle ranch In the mountains. He would often tell me to keep my eye's out for the extremely rare Showy Thistle, and I have to admit the first time I saw one, I was convinced that it was all a big prank of his. It honestly didn't look real at all. I was sure that he had 'planted' some kind of artificial plant to trick me, the stems were an unnaturally stark whitish gray and the flowers were unbelievably red. It stuck out from it's surroundings in a very unnatural way, but on close examination it was a real plant. I hope I get to see one again someday.

In my research I came across another Thistle related fact that I found enlightening. The Japanese eat a root vegetable called Gobo, we call it Burdock. What I didn't know is that it is the root of a thistle plant. A rather plain and caustic one though, as the stems and leaves are full of chemicals that can cause skin irritation. The roots are quite tasty and full of fiber though, it's the kind of food that you just know is good for you.