Cardoon (Cynara Cardunculus)

I came across this rather triffid-looking plant on my walk with Granddog Oona this morning, and it looked unusual to me so I asked Google Lens what it is and then looked up some details. Apparently it's Cardoon (aka the Artichoke Thistle), a thistle in the family Asteraceae. It has many cultivated forms including the Globe Artichoke.

It's native to the Mediterranean region; its central (white) stems are edible as are the flowers. In Canada it can withstand mild winters but tends to succumb during harsher winters, so they can be cultivated either as perennials or annuals depending on the weather.

More info here.