Chicory is a beautiful blue wild flower. This fragile-looking plant thrives in rough environments. Chicory grows alongside roads and in gravel driveways–places where I wouldn’t expect anything to grow, let alone anything so delicate looking. Chicory adds beauty and softens the rough places. Any time I see it I smile at this tenacious little flower which defies its harsh surroundings.
One day I brought a couple chicory plants into the house, thinking the light blue color would perfectly accent my blue vase. I looked at the plants an hour or so later. Surprise! No longer standing tall the plants wilted pitifully in the vase. Unlike the wild daisies I’ve picked before, the chicory plants couldn’t handle the “cushy” indoor life. Their visual charm is strictly for the outdoors.
©P. Booher
Resources for pictures and more information: http://www.ediblewildfood.com/chicory.aspx
Country Ripples 