Cynara is a genus of about 10 species of thistle-like perennial plants in the family Asteraceae, native to the Mediterranean region, northwestern Africa, and the Canary Islands.

Among the species in this genus are:

Cynara species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species, including the angle shades and the double-striped pug.

C. cardunculus is being developed as a new bioenergy crop in the Mediterranean because of its high biomass and seed oil yields even under harsh conditions.