Eggarton Cottages, Eggarton Lane, Godmersham, Kent, CT4 7DY
Tel/Fax: 01227 730242
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Very pretty perennial wild flower with hairy stems and large sky-blue flowers which close at midday. Also known as Monk's Beard and Succory. Member of the Aster family. It is a very old plant, having been around since at least the sixteenth-century. Found in the wild on roadsides and rough grassland in central and southern England on chalk and sandy soils. Rare in northern England and Ireland. Flowers from July to October and grows to about 5 ft high.
(For sale in the Wildflowers section of the shop)
Good bee and bumblebee plant. If planted on an anthill the flowers turn red (apparently!).
In folklore, Chicory flowers are the eyes of a girl crying for her sweetheart's ship, which never returned. Chicory can also make you invisible (!) and could unlock boxes if a leaf of it was held against the lock. It had to be collected on 25 July (St James' Day) and cut with a knife of gold in silence, or the collector would die. German legend tells of a girl waiting by the roadside for her lover, who never came. She fell exhausted on to a patch of Chicory and died - hence it is also known as Watcher of the Road. A similar legend tells of a girl who fell in love with a sailor who left her to go to sea. She was distraught and the gods took pity on her and turned her into Chicory - hence another name for the plant - Blue Sailor Weed.
Leaves can be boiled to produce a blue dye. As with other violet-coloured flowers, Chicory flowers made a sweet known as Violet Plates in Tudor times. The seventeenth century alchemist, Paracelsus, claimed that, after 7 years, Chicory turned into a bird!
Plant in spring or autumn, in rich, well-drained soil in sun. Cut back plant in autumn.
CAUTION - IF USED TO EXCESS in MEDICINE IT MAY CAUSE LOSS OF RETINAL VISUAL POWER.
*This sheet is provided for information only and is in no way a prescription for use. Please seek the advice of a qualified herbalist before using*
Chicory contains vitamins B, C, K and P. Pliny talks of using Chicory juice with rose oil and vinegar for headaches. In Roman times it was used as a vegetable. Juice can also be drunk with wine to treat liver and bladder problems. The plant can also be used in remedies for gallstones. The root is used as a coffee substitute. The ancient Egyptians believed the plant could purify the blood and liver. Leaves can be used as compresses for skin inflammation. The plant supports the body's ability to absorb calcium.