Lovely chicory has many common names: succory, blue sailors, blue daisy, coffee-weed, wild endive.
Chcory is originally from Eurasia.
Chicory forms a deep, perennial taproot, and all parts of the plant exude milky sap when broken.
Flowers are seen from July through October.
The flowers open in the morning and close by afternoon.
Many individual florets make up a flower head.
Flowers are pollinated by bees.
Birds eat and disperse the dried fruit and the seeds germinate in a variety of sunny sites.
In the urban environment it is common in minimally maintained public parks, the margins of neglected residential and commercial landscapes, vacant lots, rubble dumps, pavement cracks, chain-link fence lines, unmowed highway banks and median strips and railroad rights-of-way.
Chicory is tolerant of roadway salt and compacted soil.
Domesticated varieties of chicory include Belgium endive and Radicchio.
The root of chicory has long been used as a coffee additive or substitute when roasted and ground.
Miles Hearn