A lot of gardeners in United States and Canada see Chicory as weed growing wild, but it is still familiar to some many gardeners as a salad green or a coffee substitute. For many years this herb has been used by herbalists as a treatment for maladies ranging from upset stomach and jaundice to fever and gallstones.
I know it is used as a coffee substitute, but never heard of its other uses. I don't care for coffee, so never bothered with chicory at all. The blue flowers are pretty, but the plant is not so much. It is edible? That is a just in case kind of thing. Is that chicory in your picture? Because we call chicory ragweed down here in the US.
I love Chicory! I don't think I've ever had it as a coffee substitute yet. The blue flowers are so pretty and it grows in the worst soil! I see it along the highways and roads throughout the summer. Is it just me or do the flowers close overnight and midday when the sun is brightest?
I'm growing Whitloof Chicory for the first time this year. It has a funny story as to how it was discovered as a grocery store delicacy we call Belgian Endive.The Endive is the roots second forcing of leaves and must be done in complete darkness. When the root was harvested for its coffee substitute taste, a farmer went to his dark cellar to get some roots, and found these beautiful pale green buds growing. I will be starting my seeds soon, then transplanting in the spring. In the fall, they get dug out and cleaned off. They will go in the fridge for a while to verinalize, and then in the fall they get potted and placed in a warm dark closet. If I do all of this correctly, I should have have Endives late in the fall/early winter. If anyone has grown and forced these lovelies, I would sure appreciate any advice.
