Key identifying traits
-
Plants grow from a deep taproot
and range from 1-6’ in height
-
Leaves are lobed and rough in
appearance with upper leaves reduced in size and occurrence
-
Plants contain a milky juice
-
Flowers are blue to purple;
rarely white
-
Flower petals are squared on the
tip and toothed
Biology and ecology
-
A perennial plant spreading by
seeds
-
It grows in waste areas and
along road sides and can become a nuisance in pasture ground
-
Chicory is from the
Mediterranean region and now can be found in most of the
northern hemisphere
-
People have planted it for use
as salad greens and the root is used for a coffee substitute
-
It flowers from July to
September
Control
Prevention –
Learn to identify plants; start monitoring early in the season
Biological –
No known biological control in our area
Cultural –
Plant competitive grass or other cover crop
Mechanical –
Plants will regrow if mowed, but deep tillage will work for control
Chemical – the
PNW Weed Management handbook lists chicory as being susceptible
to MCPA and mixtures with triclopyr as well as some other
recommendations
All photos
courtesy Mike Haddock,
http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/ |
