About
Cichorium intybus is a vital crop species and the progenitor of cultivated chicory. Its robust roots serve as a base for a coffee alternative and can occasionally be found growing wild. The plant features slender, upright stems that branch out, adorned with a multitude of flowers that bloom closely along the stems throughout the summer months. These blossoms unfurl in sunlight but retract in damp conditions. While the typical hue is a clear blue reminiscent of the sky, variations in white and pink exist. This species is the foundational parent from which various cultivated forms have emerged, including Belgian chicory, Radicchio, and Sugarloaf chicory.
About the genus
Cichorium comprises both annual and perennial species characterized by loosely branching stems. The leaves are either toothed or pinnately lobed, and the plants produce dandelion-like flowers, typically blue, which tend to close by early afternoon during the summer months.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing
- Exposure
- Exposed, Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H5
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial, Herbs - Culinary
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 1-1.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.5-1 metres
- Time to full height
- 1-2 years
- Suggested uses
- City and courtyard gardens, Cottage and informal garden, Gravel garden, Coastal, Rock garden, Mediterranean climate plants, Wildlife gardens
- Native to
- W Euras., N Africa
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun. For more advice, follow chicory cultivation
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to slugs and snails damage
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to powdery mildews and rust disease