Beautiful Blue

Beautiful blue, a common color along roadsides right now. It is blooming time for Chicory (Cichorium intybus).

Chicory is a perennial herbaceous plant, native to western Asia, North Africa, and Europe.

It found its way to North America probably in the 1700s as European settlers were arriving on our shores.

The plants grow to 1.5 to 3 feet tall. The flowers are 1 to 1.5 inches across with 10 to 20 blue ray florets, each floret has 5 tiny teeth at its tip. At the center of the flowers are blue stamens with blue anthers. The flowers open in the morning and as the sun becomes the brightest the flowers close, that is unless it is cloudy, then those flowers will remain open longer.

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Published by

Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

6 thoughts on “Beautiful Blue”

    1. Hi Ken! Thanks for your comment on the Chicory pictures being beautiful. I sure appreciate that! And yes, though not native it is for sure a lovely flower!

      And thanks too, for reading my ramblings!
      Bren

    1. Hi Bonny! Great to hear from you! We share the same feelings about Chicory. I love it. The only thing that could possibly make it better would be if it were native. But hey, it’s not invasive!

      Thanks bunches for reading my ramblings!
      Bren

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