Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus var. scolymus) belongs to the sunflower family and is cultivated for its edible flower buds. Being adapted to Mediterranean climates, artichoke requires adequate winter chilling for flower bud induction but is susceptible to freeze damage, limiting its commercial production in the United States almost exclusively to California. In tropical and subtropical climates, despite minimal freeze risk, insufficient winter chilling presents a major constraint to artichoke production. This study was initiated in 2015 to evaluate the potential for establishing artichoke as a viable winter crop in Florida. First, we developed a protocol for artificial bud induction using the plant hormone gibberellic acid (GA₃). When applied at the optimal rate and developmental stage, GA₃ effectively promotes bud formation independently of natural winter chilling. From 2016 to 2020, we evaluated seven cultivars based on earliness, yield, and bud quality and selected two promising cultivars, ‘Imperial Star’ and ‘Green Queen’. We also evaluated planting dates from early September to early December and determined that early to mid-October is the optimum planting window, yielding up to 17.3 and 11.8 t ha–1 for ‘Imperial Star’ and ‘Green Queen’, respectively. From 2022 to 2025, we tested additional 16 hybrids and identified three promising cultivars, ‘20-063’, ‘22-017’ and ‘23-057’. Our current artichoke production guide includes recommendations on GA3 application, cultivars, planting configurations, plastic mulch, and basic pest management. In 2023, artichoke was grown on about 12 hectares in Florida using this production guide. Ongoing research focuses on assessing nutritional values and postharvest quality to enhance the viability of artichoke as Florida’s new winter crop.
