Cardoon with tiny visitor

Cardoon reminds me of my favourite thistle, the Nodding or Musk Thistle. This (very tall) one was growing in the gardens at the Calgary Zoo when I visited a few days ago. Lucky for me, a tiny Two-spotted Ladybug was exploring the interesting landscape : )

"The cardoon (Cynara cardunculus), also called the artichoke thistle, cardone, cardoni, carduni or cardi, is a thistle-like plant which is member of the Aster family, Asteraceae; (or archaic: Daisy family, Compositae). It is a naturally occurring variant of the same species as the Globe artichoke, and has many cultivated varieties. It is native to the Mediterranean, where it was domesticated in ancient times ...... The cardoon is highly invasive and is able to adapt to dry climates. It has become a major weed in the pampas of Argentina and California; it is also considered a weed in Australia. Cardoon has attracted recent attention as a possible source of biodiesel. The oil, extracted from the seeds of the cardoon, and called artichoke oil, is similar to safflower and sunflower oil in composition and use." From Wikipedia.