{"product_id":"chicory-cichorium-intybus","title":"Chicory | Cichorium intybus","description":"\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThat brilliant sky-blue flower blooming along roadsides in midsummer? That's chicory — and it's far more useful than its weed reputation suggests. The whole plant is edible: young leaves in salads and sautés (bitter, in the best way), flowers as a garnish, and the deep taproot roasted and ground as a caffeine-free coffee substitute with a long history in southern cooking and European tradition. Medicinally the root is the main event — a well-documented digestive bitter and liver tonic used for centuries to support gallbladder function, stimulate digestion, relieve constipation, and reduce inflammation. It's also rich in inulin, the same prebiotic fiber found in elecampane, making it a genuine gut-health plant. In the garden and food forest it earns its place as a dynamic accumulator — that deep taproot mines minerals from subsoil and makes them available through chop-and-drop, and the flowers feed pollinators generously through the heat of summer when little else is blooming.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003chr class=\"border-border-200 border-t-0.5 my-3 mx-1.5\"\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLatin Name:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003eCichorium intybus\u003c\/em\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLight:\u003c\/strong\u003e Full sun to part shade \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSoil:\u003c\/strong\u003e Well-drained; tolerates poor, lean, and dry ground; deep taproot handles tough sites \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWater:\u003c\/strong\u003e Drought-tolerant once established \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMature Size:\u003c\/strong\u003e 2–4 ft tall \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBloom Time:\u003c\/strong\u003e Midsummer through fall \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHardiness Zone:\u003c\/strong\u003e 3–9 \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWildlife Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e Excellent pollinator plant; blooms through summer heat when competitors have stopped \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEdible:\u003c\/strong\u003e Young leaves raw or cooked; flowers edible; root roasted as coffee substitute \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMedicinal:\u003c\/strong\u003e Root used as digestive bitter, liver tonic, and prebiotic (inulin-rich); supports gallbladder, digestion, and gut health \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePermaculture Value:\u003c\/strong\u003e Deep taproot dynamic accumulator; chop-and-drop mineral miner; thrives in disturbed and lean soils\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"New Earth Nursery","offers":[{"title":"3.5\" x 5\" pot","offer_id":42867071385671,"sku":"chicory5","price":12.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0577\/5058\/5415\/files\/chicory_flowers.webp?v=1781118752","url":"https:\/\/newearthnursery.com\/products\/chicory-cichorium-intybus","provider":"New Earth Nursery","version":"1.0","type":"link"}