Wildflower - Chicory

Chicory (Cichorium intybus) is a common roadside weed with a brilliant pastel blue flower. Chicory is a member of the Aster family and various varieties are cultivated for salad leaves or for roots which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute.



In the United States chicory root has long been used as a substitute for coffee in prisons. By the 1840s the port of New Orleans was the second largest importer of coffee. Louisianans began to add chicory root to their coffee when Union naval blockades during the American Civil War cut off the port of New Orleans, thereby creating a long-standing tradition.

A close-up view of the center of the flower which attracts many insects.