Beautiful Florals-Flowering Artichoke

I recently ran across this flower in a neighbors yard, it is absolutely beautiful — and very exotic looking. I had never seen anything like it. I just had to shoot some close-ups to further analyze it. Have you ever grown one of these? Is it grown from seed? Is it an annual or perennial? I have a lot to learn about this beauty. The purple is extremely vibrant! Mother nature creates another beautiful floral.