Enormous artichoke plant submitted for Guinness World Record

By Peter Spriggs and Faye Mayern

A giant artichoke plant, which reaches up to 10.5ft tall (3.22m) to its grower's bedroom windo,w has been submitted for a Guinness World Record.

The mammoth plant's owner, Nathan Garnett, 49, said he has contacted Guinness for an official world record after the plant "went crazy."

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 now stands at a whopping 10.5ft tall (3.22m) at last measurement, which was a week ago.

The current record is 2.5m, according to Nathan through his world record application.

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

Nathan said, "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 - it hasn't died back.

"It reaches up to my front bedroom window. I thought I would get in touch with Guinness.

"As far as I can tell, it's the largest one ever recorded.

"They said it could take up to three months for an inspector to come and check it, but obviously, as a plant, it might not last that long.

"I could pay £600 to have someone come and check it urgently, but a record's not that important to me, honestly."

Nathan, an events organizer, has taken video and pictures of the enormous plant as evidence in case the inspectors need it.

He said he doesn't water the plant and had put some manure on it 18 months ago.

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

"There's certainly a lot less light coming through into the living room, but with the hot weather that's not been so bad, I did have to cut it back last year because it was starting to lean over.

"The neighbours 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 thought 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.