To the untrained eye, this might appear to be a common weed. With a mixture of long-veined leaves fanning out from a center, some of them with serrated edges, it looks similar to many other common lawn weeds. If you guessed this was a dandelion, you would be dead wrong.

Identification

Chicory, also known as Blue Cornflower and many other names, it does in fact grow in the wild as a meadow weed. In my garden, I grow it especially for the tall summer flowers.

This plant can be very difficult to differentiate from other weeds. In February and March, late in Winter, watch for leaves that turn speckled slightly with red. As other leafy plants become thrashed by slugs and rodents, this plant thrives and will often swell with spirals of healthy plump greens.

Most of the leaves grow tall and upright with straight edges. As more leaves fill in from the center, they will push older leaves out into the earth. The leaf shape is the best way to differentiate it from dandelion which has saw-tooth edges. Chicory leaves are slightly spined on the edges, with almost hairs on the edges. The leaf interior is smooth and tender like all salad greens.

Cooking

Chicory is related to other edible plants that produce red leaves in winter, like endive and radicchio. The plump lettuce shaped leaves might be bitter, but very healthy. Leaves are least bitter in the season temperatures are freezing. To further reduce the bitterness from leafy greens you can season it, and cook it in water or oil. The central vein can also be discarded.

Try mixing it with other greens for a fresh salad that offers some interesting colors, and season it with an acidic or sweet dressing.

Historically, the root was dried and powderized, then mixed with water as a coffee substitute. Nobody I know bothers with this anymore since coffee is so cheap and plentiful. Chicory, like coffee, will definitely help get your bowels moving.

Sowing

During the rainy season in late Fall or late Winter is the best time to plant Chicory seeds. Seeds are not viable for long, so it is best to plant them the same year after they are acquired. You'll have to look online for specialty growers (try etsy), since most commercial growers will only sell Bachelor's Buttons as "Blue Cornflower", which is not the same plant.

Chicory will grow back every year so long as you do not cut it down to the root, or break the root. They sprout more easily when sown in a pot if you have pest problems outdoors. Once mature, move the pot anywhere sunny and damp you want more chicory to grow, as the flowers will drop seeds that self-sow. Chicory may not transplant well.