Stats

Lifespan: Perennial
Size: Small
Diet: Photosynthetic
Biome: Temperate grassland
Range: Europe
Movement: Sessile
Breeding: Seeds
Defense: Toxins
Status: Common

About

A perennial wildflower native to Europe, chicory is famous for its brilliant sky-blue blooms that open only in the morning and close by midday — so reliably that Linnaeus included it in his "floral clock." Its roasted roots have been used as a coffee substitute for centuries.

Life cycle

1.
seed
A dormant seed waits for water and warmth before germinating.
2.
sprout
A first shoot emerges with cotyledon leaves and a tap root reaching down.
3.
sapling
A young plant grows true leaves and a stem or trunk, putting on height each season.
4.
mature
Fully grown, flowering or fruiting at adult size.

Learn more

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Phylum: Tracheophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Cichorium
Species: Cichorium intybus