Towering artichoke plant awarded new Guinness World Record

By Faye Mayern

A giant artichoke plant which reached up to 10.9 feet tall (3.3m) to its grower's bedroom window has set a new Guinness World Record.

The mammoth plant's owner Nathan Garnett, 49, received his certificate for the tallest cardoon - or artichoke thistle - in the world on December 13.

Nathan brought the seven-year-old plant grown from seed with him after he moved from Billericay to Rayleigh in Essex five years ago.

But he said it was unremarkable until last year when it suddenly shot up to his bedroom window.

The artichoke plant was measured at 10.9ft tall (3.3m) on July 1 with the previous recording being 8.2ft tall (2.5m).

It has been named Audrey by Nathan and his partner Nicola after the ravenous plant from Little Shop of Horrors.

Nathan said: "Given all the given interest Audrey got over the summer, it made it important to get something official.

"It's really special.

"I'm glad we got it otherwise I would have felt a bit like a fraud.

"I've got smaller baby Audreys' going in the back garden which have self-seeded.

More from this section

+3

How feeling disappointed alters our brains

+4

Study suggests eating this cheese can help reduce dementia risk

9 foods that cause body odor and what to do about it

"She's three-foot high at the moment as she died back. But she'll grow again."

Nathan doesn't water the plant and had put some manure on it over a year ago to see if it helped it grow.

At her peak, Audrey reached up to his front bedroom window.

He explained: "Artichokes are quite difficult to grow and a lot of the ones at my old house died, but this one survived so I decided to take it with me.

"It didn't do much until last year, then it suddenly went crazy, I have no idea why.

"It might be down to the warm winters as it didn't die back."

Nathan, an events organizer, took video and pictures of the enormous plant as evidence.

He added: "It's definitely taken on a life of its own, my wife thinks I'm obsessed with it.

"The neighbors don't mind it, it's got a lot of positive response, the postman knocked on the door laughing saying it's the most amazing thing he's ever seen on his round.

"Not everyone's been as enthusiastic, a councillor came campaigning last year called it a 'monstrosity'.

"But otherwise I've had no complaints, a friend suggested I start selling the seeds for charity which I though was a good way to get something positive out of it."

Nathan has now set up a JustGiving page to sell the seeds for a local hospice.