Artichoke garlic

The easy, everyday softneck.

Good for long storage, braiding and most plants per pound of seed.

By winter

Frozen hard for weeks. Grows in hard winters under a good mulch.
Frost, then thaw, repeatedly. Thrives where frost comes and goes.
Rare or brief frost. Thrives where frost is rare.

Where winters are mild, Artichoke is one of the groups extension services recommend.

At a glance

Neck: Softneck
Keeps: 8 to 10 months
Cloves per bulb: 12 to 20, in three to five overlapping layers
Flavor: Milder than the hardnecks.
Peeling: Slower. Many cloves, tightly wrapped, irregular shapes.
Braiding: Yes
Harvest: Early to mid

Varieties to order

Inchelium Red

Softneck · Keeps 5 to 10 months · Early to mid harvest

Order from Filaree Keene Hood River

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Filaree)
Artichoke (Keene)
Artichoke (Hood River)
Neck: soft (Filaree)
soft (Keene)
soft (Hood River)
Cloves per bulb: 8 to 20 (Filaree)
8 to 10 (Hood River)
Per pound: 6 to 8 bulbs/lb (Filaree)
6 to 8 bulbs/lb, 96 to 128 cloves/lb (Keene)
65 to 75 cloves/lb (Hood River)
Keeps: 8 to 10 months (Filaree)
6 to 9 months (Keene)
5 to 6 months (Hood River)
Flavor: Mild, lingering (Filaree)
Mild, good baked, roasted, in mashed potato (Keene)
Mild to medium (Hood River)
Climate: Adaptable (Filaree)
Adapts to summer heat, northern and southern states (Keene)
Zones 3 to 10 (Hood River)
Harvest: Mid (Filaree)
Mid (Keene)
Early (Hood River)
Scapes: No (Filaree)

Susanville

Softneck · Keeps 6 to 12 months · Early to late harvest

Order from Filaree Keene Hood River

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Filaree)
Artichoke (Keene)
Artichoke (Hood River)
Neck: soft (Filaree)
soft (Keene)
soft (Hood River)
Cloves per bulb: 10 to 16 (Filaree)
12 to 16 (Keene)
10 to 15 (Hood River)
Per pound: 8 to 10 bulbs/lb (Filaree)
Bulbs 2.25 to 2.75 in diameter (Keene)
85 to 95 cloves/lb (Hood River)
Keeps: 10 to 12 months (Filaree)
6 to 9 months (Keene)
6 to 7 months (Hood River)
Flavor: Mellow, Well-Balanced (Filaree)
Mellow, well-balanced, full-bodied without overwhelming heat (Keene)
Mild, more flavorful than hot (Hood River)
Climate: Versatile (Filaree)
Zones 4 to 9 (Keene)
Zones 2 to 10 (Hood River)
Harvest: Mid to Late (Filaree)
Early (Keene)
Early (Hood River)

California Early

Softneck · Keeps 8 to 10 months · Early harvest

Order from Filaree Hood River

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Filaree)
Artichoke (Hood River)
Neck: soft (Filaree)
soft (Hood River)
Cloves per bulb: 10 to 21 (Filaree)
9 to 11 (Hood River)
Per pound: 8 to 10 bulbs/lb (Filaree)
58 to 65 cloves/lb (Hood River)
Keeps: 8 to 10 months (Filaree)
8 months (Hood River)
Flavor: Mild (Filaree)
Mild but very pleasing (Hood River)
Climate: Warm / Mild winters (Filaree)
Zones 2 to 10, more heat tolerant than Susanville (Hood River)
Harvest: Early (Filaree)
Early (Hood River)
Scapes: No (Filaree)
No (Hood River)

Kettle River Giant

Softneck · Keeps 8 to 10 months · Mid to late harvest

Order from Filaree Keene

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Filaree)
Artichoke (Keene)
Neck: soft (Filaree)
soft (Keene)
Cloves per bulb: 8 to 14 (Filaree)
Per pound: 8 to 10 bulbs/lb (Filaree)
8 bulbs / 96 cloves per lb (Keene)
Keeps: 8 to 10 months (Filaree)
Flavor: Mild, Lingering (Filaree)
Medium, similar to Inchelium Red (Keene)
Climate: Cold-Hot, Versatile (Filaree)
Northern regions (Keene)
Harvest: Mid to Late (Filaree)

Lorz Italian

Softneck

Order from Filaree Keene

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Filaree)
Artichoke (Keene)
Neck: soft (Keene)
Cloves per bulb: 12 to 19 (Filaree)
12 to 19 (Keene)
Flavor: Hot for a softneck, sweet baked (Keene)
Climate: Adapts to summer heat, northern and especially southern (Keene)

Polish White

Softneck · Keeps 6 to 12 months · Mid to late harvest

Order from Filaree Hood River

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Filaree)
Artichoke (Hood River)
Neck: soft (Filaree)
soft (Hood River)
Cloves per bulb: 10 to 16 (Filaree)
5 to 9 (Hood River)
Per pound: 8 to 10 bulbs/lb (Filaree)
32 to 43 cloves/lb (Hood River)
Keeps: 9 to 12 months (Filaree)
6 months (Hood River)
Flavor: Mild, Classic Garlic (Filaree)
Climate: Cold-Hot, Versatile (Filaree)
Cold winter climates similar to upstate New York (Hood River)
Harvest: Mid to Late (Filaree)
Mid (Hood River)

Red Toch

Softneck · Keeps 9 months or more · Mid to late harvest

Order from Filaree Keene

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Filaree)
Artichoke (Keene)
Neck: soft (Filaree)
soft (Keene)
Cloves per bulb: 10 to 16 (Filaree)
Per pound: 8 to 10 bulbs/lb (Filaree)
Keeps: 9 to 12 months (Filaree)
over 9 months (Keene)
Flavor: Rich, Mild, Well-Balanced (Filaree)
Multidimensional (Keene)
Climate: Cold-Hot, Versatile (Filaree)
Adapts to summer heat, northern and southern states (Keene)
Harvest: Mid to Late (Filaree)
Mid (Keene)

Chet's Italian Red

Softneck · Keeps 5 to 6 months · Early harvest

Order from Hood River

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Hood River)
Neck: soft (Hood River)
Cloves per bulb: 8 to 10 (Hood River)
Per pound: 65 to 75 cloves/lb (Hood River)
Keeps: 5 to 6 months (Hood River)
Flavor: Mild to medium, mild raw (Hood River)
Climate: Zones 3 to 10 (Hood River)
Harvest: Early (Hood River)

Corsica Red

Softneck · Keeps 6 to 7 months · Early harvest

Order from Hood River

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Hood River)
Neck: soft (Hood River)
Cloves per bulb: 8 to 10 (Hood River)
Per pound: 65 to 75 cloves/lb (Hood River)
Keeps: 6 to 7 months (Hood River)
Climate: Zones 3 to 10 (Hood River)
Harvest: Early (Hood River)

Early Italian Softneck

Softneck · Keeps 9 to 12 months · Early harvest

Order from Keene

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Keene)
Neck: soft (Keene)
Keeps: over 9 to 12 months (Keene)
Flavor: Milder softneck flavor (Keene)
Climate: Adapts to summer heat, southern and western states (Keene)
Harvest: Early (Keene)

Early Red Italian

Softneck · Keeps 8 to 10 months · Early harvest

Order from Filaree

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Filaree)
Neck: soft (Filaree)
Cloves per bulb: 11 to 21 (Filaree)
Per pound: 8 to 10 bulbs/lb (Filaree)
Keeps: 8 to 10 months (Filaree)
Flavor: Robust, Classic Garlic (Filaree)
Climate: Cold-Hot, Versatile (Filaree)
Harvest: Early (Filaree)

Messidor

Softneck · Early harvest

Order from Keene

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Keene)
Neck: soft (Keene)
Cloves per bulb: 8 to 14 (Keene)
Flavor: Mild, classic, rich (Keene)
Climate: Zones 5 to 9, also 3 to 4 with more care (Keene)
Harvest: Early (Keene)

Sicilian Softneck

Softneck · Early harvest

Order from Keene

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Keene)
Neck: soft (Keene)
Cloves per bulb: 8 to 14 (Keene)
Flavor: Mild, classic, rich, savory (Keene)
Climate: Zones 5 to 9, also 3 to 4 with more care (Keene)
Harvest: Early (Keene)

Transylvanian

Softneck · Keeps 8 to 10 months · Mid to late harvest

Order from Filaree

What each supplier says

Group: Artichoke (Filaree)
Neck: soft (Filaree)
Cloves per bulb: 10 to 12 (Filaree)
Per pound: 8 to 10 bulbs/lb (Filaree)
Keeps: 8 to 10 months (Filaree)
Flavor: Mild, Well-Balanced (Filaree)
Climate: Versatile (Filaree)
Harvest: Mid to Late (Filaree)

What the catalogs say

Named for the overlapping clove layers, which resemble an artichoke in section. This is the type in most supermarkets. Twelve to twenty cloves per bulb makes it the highest-count group after Silverskin, and Filaree puts group storage near ten months. Keene notes softnecks do well in the north with proper mulch. Varieties include Inchelium Red, Lorz Italian, Red Toch, California Early.