The artichoke is a perennial herb plant up to 1.5 meters high, equipped with an underground rhizome from which buds more stems grow, which at the time of flowering grow in height with a dichotomous branching. The stem is sturdy, cylindrical and fleshy, striated longitudinally.

The leaves have a distinct polymorphism even within the same plant. They are large, oblong-lanceolate, with entire blade in the young plants and those near the heads, and more or less pinnate engraved in the baseline.

The fruit is an elongated achene with a rectangular section, equipped with a pappus.