Chicory

Native:

• Blue Lettuce (Lactuca tatarica): Chicory has a more branched growth pattern with stalkless flowers.

 

 

 

 

 

• Showy Blue Lettuce (Mulgedium pulchellum): Chicory has a more branched growth pattern with stalkless flowers.

 

 

 

 

• Showy Daisy (Erigeron speciosus): It has similar flowers to Chicory but with a yellow middle.

 

 

 

 

Invasive:

• Bachelor’s Button (Centaurea cyanus): Its flowers can be blue, purple, or pink, but have a unique pompom-like appearance.

 

 

 

• Mountain Bluet (Centaurea montana): Similar appearing flowers but with magenta centers and thin and wispy petals with fringed tips.

Chicory is native to southern and central Europe, Africa, and the temperate and tropical regions of Asia. It was likely brought to North America as an edible crop. Chicory leaves are edible, often eaten as salad greens, and the roots are used as a coffee substitute.

Chicory grows in a variety of conditions but prefers soils with a high lime content. It is often found in fields and disturbed areas, such as fence lines, roadsides, right-of-ways, pastures, and poorly maintained turf.

Chicory reproduces solely by seed. One plant can produce up to 3,000 seeds.

Most seeds fall close to the parent plant; however, dispersal can be aided by the wind, wildlife, vehicles, and equipment. The main vectors of long-distance spread are the agriculture and horticulture trades, as Chicory continues to be grown as a crop plant.

Chicory is currently found throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor, so the best approach to controlling its spread is by PREVENTION.

Learn to identify Chicory: use the images presented on this profile page to learn how to identify Chicory.

What to do if you spot it: You can report any Chicory sighting by clicking here.

 

DO:

• Regularly monitor properties for weed infestations.
• Ensure soil and gravel are uncontaminated before transport.
• Check wildflower mixes to ensure that they do not contain Chicory.
• Ensure that plants are disposed of in a garbage bag if found in floral arrangements to prevent seeds from spreading.

 

DO NOT:

• Unload, park, or store equipment or vehicles in infested areas; remove plant material from any equipment, vehicles, or clothing used in such areas and wash equipment and vehicles at designated cleaning sites before leaving infested areas.
• Plant Chicory in a garden, no matter how well-contained its enclosure may seem.
• Move soil that has been contaminated with Chicory.

 

Control

Mechanical

• Hand-pull, dig out, or hoe small infestations.
• Ensure you remove as much of the root system as possible.
• Mowing can prevent seed production, but Chicory will likely regrow after mowing
• Repeated treatments may be required over several years to exhaust nutrients reserves and control new seedlings emerging from the existing seed bank.

Chemical

• Glyphosate, aminopyralid, clopyralid, dicamba, and 2,4-D are chemical treatment options for Chicory.
• Picloram is also effective, but not suitable for wet, coastal soils.
• We recommend that any herbicide application is carried out by a person holding a valid BC Pesticide Applicator Certificate. Before selecting and applying herbicides, you must review and follow herbicide labels and application rates; municipal, regional, provincial, and federal laws and regulations; species-specific treatment recommendations, and site-specific goals and objectives.

Biological

Biological control agents are not available for Chicory.