Italian Late
Italian Late in the USA is in the Silverskin Group. But the well known and long grown Italian Late in Australia is in the Artichoke Group. This cultivar is very similar to Italian White, just planted a few weeks later.
General Information
| Other Names |
Italian White Late, Late Italian |
| Flavour |
Hot and rich, aggressive. |
| Storage |
Medium to long, about 8 months. |
| Growing location |
Mainly grown in northern SA and Victoria, Southern NSW. But also southern Victoria, Tasmania and WA as well as Northern NSW. |
| Growing requirements |
Cold temperate climate, cold winters, warm spring, hot dry summer. But more tolerant than some Artichokes of wet and cold in spring and summer. Adaptable. |
| Planting and harvest |
Mid to late season, sow April-May, harvest mid-December. |
Bulb
| Shape |
Flat to teardrop shaped, 6-7 cm with flat to convex base.
|
| Skin colour and texture |
White skin, often with purple blotching or striping especially in cooler climates.
|
Clove
| Number and layout |
Usually 13-17 in three layers.
|
| Size and shape |
Outer cloves are large, flat and inwardly curving, inner cloves smaller, taller and more slender
|
| Skin colour and texture |
Medium thickness, cream to tan with some pink overtones, fairly hard to remove.
|
Plant
| Size and shape |
Strong, wide and spreading. Often stronger and wider in colder climates.
|
| Leaves |
Broad, pale green to yellow green leaves at 45° to pseudostem. Fold in middle.
|
| Young plants |
Germinates readily, plants grow quickly and resemble adult plants.
|
| Matures |
Plants mature at a steady rate without any rapid development at particular times. Plants are not tall but are solid and strong.
|
| Scape |
Usually no scape
|
| Umbel and beak |
No umbel and beak
|
| Bulbils and flowers |
Very occasionally may have bulbils in the pseudostem
|
