Advantages and difficulties resulting from the use of F1 hybrid seeds in artichoke are reported. After the limited success of clonal selection of the cultivar Violet de Provence, INRA launched a program on seed-propagated F1 hybrids starting in 1974 in Montfavet (Provence) and Plougoulm (Brittany). Preliminary trials showed the possibilities to improve significantly yields and head quality. The genetic base was broadened by creating 2 sources populations corresponding to the two main head types of the French market, each of these was subsequently divided into early and late lines. After Prencipe (1984), the male sterility was used to enable the production of many experimental F1 as well as hybrid seed. To date, five F1 crosses proved of interest and further development of the program was taken by Nunhems. Two remaining problems which still prevent the widespread use of F1 hybrid seeds in artichoke are (1) the management of the cultural cycle for seed-propagated plants and (2) the economical production of F1 hybrid seed as adequate pollination of male sterile plants remains difficult to achieve