Chicory
This herb has a long history of use as a coffee type beverage. The roots are roasted and sometimes blended with coffee beans to create a delicious and healthy drink. Try Healing House Herbs Chicory Honeybush Tea it has no caffeine. Delicious.
This herb is a perennial, herbaceous in zones 3-10. It grows to 15-24 inches and has beautiful periwinkle blue flowers that bloom from mid to late summer. It is a common roadside plant.
Seeds germinate best if they are stratified before sowing. Sow indoors or directly outdoors. Transplant outdoors 10 inches apart. Chicory requires low to moderate watering and will grow in clumps. I t requires full sun and no special soil. It grows well with red clover, alfalfa, and plantain.
Harvest roots in the spring or fall with a garden fork. Flowers are edible and can be harvested by hand when in bloom. Leaves can also be picked and dried. I like to use Chicory for tea or the flowers in salad. It is also great in a cider vinegar tincture used in a drink for digestion.
Chicory is beneficial to digestive tracts and for urinary tract health.