Family: chicories (Cichoriaceae)
Flowering time: July–October
Size: 30–120 cm
Habitat: road verges and byways, embankments, old walls and meadows
The erect, sturdy stem of the common chicory (Cichorium intybus) is branched. The lobed basal leaves form a leaf rosette. On the underside they are hairy. The upper lance-shaped leaves are sessile and clasp the stem with a broad base. At the top of each shoot, one to a few heads develop, which are formed only by light-blue tongue-shaped flowers. The head measures 3–5 cm in diameter. The common chicory is cultivated in several varieties as a vegetable (radicchio), but wild-growing forms are very bitter. As a coffee substitute, roasted root is used.
It thrives in ruderal habitats (habitats with constant human influence) in sunny places across all of Slovenia.
