Chicory - Missouri Department Of Conservation

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Chicory

Field Guide

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Media Safety Concerns Name Edible Scientific Name Cichorium intybus Family Asteraceae (daisies, asters, sunflowers) Description

Chicory is a perennial shrubby herb with stiff, angular branches. Flowerheads emerge all along the stems with light blue or white (occasionally pink), strap-shaped ray florets that are toothed at end. Blooms May-October. Basal leaves resemble those of dandelion, with a prominent center vein, triangular lobes, with deep, rounded sinuses. Leaves become much smaller above the base. Upper branch leaves may be entire, without stems, and narrow. This plant bleeds a milky latex. The hairs on leaves and branches may not be very conspicuous.

Similar species: Florida lettuce (Lactuca floridana) has leaves well developed all along the stems, and the seeds have tufts of hair (chicory’s seeds have a low crown of scales); it can be a much larger plant as well. Cornflower (Centaurea cyanus) has leaves that are narrow and linear; the outer florets are enlarged and look like ray florets.

Other Common Names Blue Sailors Size

Height: to 3 feet, but will flower just inches above ground if mowed down.

Where To Find

Statewide.

Habitat and Conservation

A common summertime roadside weed. Occurs in fields, pastures, waste areas, roadsides, railroads, and other open, disturbed areas. Like dandelion, chicory is a native of the Old World that has been introduced globally. Like many other weedy plants, it is one of the first to take root in disturbed ground, but it does not compete well in habitats full of established native plants.

Status

A close relative of this plant, in the same genus, is endive (C. endivia), the popular salad vegetable. Worldwide, there are only 6 species in the genus Cichorium. None are native to the New World, though many of them have been introduced.

Human Connections

The roots are roasted and used as a flavoring for coffee. Chicory has a long history of medicinal uses. The greens can be eaten raw or cooked. The roots are a source for commercial inulin, which is used as a soluble fiber dietary supplement and is a fat substitute in yogurt and other foods.

Ecosystem Connections

Bees and other insects gather nectar and pollen from the flowers, pollinating them in the process. The foliage is eaten by a variety of herbivorous insects, including grasshoppers, beetles, and the larvae of butterflies and moths.

Title Media Gallery Image Caption In summer and fall, the pretty blue flowers of chicory decorate roadsides and other disturbed areas. Credit Ohio State Weed Lab Archive, The Ohio State University, Bugwood.org Right to Use Use of this image is restricted to MDC only 1/3 Image Caption The flowerheads of chicory emerge all along the stems with light blue or white (occasionally pink), strap-shaped, toothed ray florets. Credit Chris Evans, Illinois Wildlife Action Plan, Bugwood.org Right to Use Use of this image is restricted to MDC only 2/3 Image Caption The basal leaves of chicory resemble those of dandelion, with a prominent center vein, triangular lobes, and deep, rounded sinuses. Credit Mary Ellen (Mel) Harte, Bugwood.org Right to Use Use of this image is restricted to MDC only 3/3 Image Image Image Title Similar Species Similar Species Media Florida Lettuce (Woodland Lettuce) Media Cornflower (Bachelor's Button) Media Spotted Knapweed Media Common Dandelion About Wildflowers, Grasses and Other Nonwoody Plants in Missouri A very simple way of thinking about the green world is to divide the vascular plants into two groups: woody and nonwoody (or herbaceous). But this is an artificial division; many plant families include some species that are woody and some that are not. The diversity of nonwoody vascular plants is staggering! Think of all the ferns, grasses, sedges, lilies, peas, sunflowers, nightshades, milkweeds, mustards, mints, and mallows — weeds and wildflowers — and many more!

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