This French expression is an evocative way to describe someone who is a hopeless romantic, or is fickle in love.

The tender heart of the artichoke is where all the bitter leaves of the vegetable are attached.

Someone with an “artichoke heart” easily gives away their “leaves” to each new person, and is prone to falling in love often.

This French saying originated in the late 19th century, and is a shortening of the original expression: “cœur d’artichaut, une feuille pour tout le monde (artichoke heart, a leaf for everyone).”