Plant Details

Cichorium intybus

Chicory

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Common names

65 names · 42 languages
EnglishYour language
  • Blowball[2]
  • blue dandelion[2]
  • blue sailors[2]
+7 more namesShow fewer names
Other languages (41)
Dutch
  • Wilde cichorei[2]
French
  • Chicorée amère[2]
  • Chicorée commune[2]
  • Chicorée intybe[2]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • Chicorée sauvage[2]
Afrikaans
Arabic
  • هندباء برية[2]
Belarusian
  • Цыкорыя звычайная[2]
Bulgarian
  • Синя жлъчка[2]
Catalan
Chinese (Simplified)
Chinese (Traditional)
Croatian
Czech
  • čekanka obecná[2]
Danish
Estonian
  • harilik sigur[2]
Finnish
Galician
German
  • Gemeine Wegwarte[2]
  • Gewöhnliche Wegwarte[1]
Greek
  • Κιχώριον το ίντυβον[2]
  • Ραδίκι[2]
Hebrew
  • עולש תרבותי[2]
Hungarian
  • Mezei katáng[2]
  • mezei katángkóró[2]
Icelandic
  • Kaffifífill[2]
Italian
  • Cicoria comune[2]
Japanese
  • キクニガナ[2]
  • 菊苦菜[2]
Kazakh
  • Кәдімгі шашырақты[2]
Korean
Latvian
  • Parastais cigoriņš[2]
Lithuanian
  • Paprastoji trūkažolė[2]
Norwegian
Ossetian
  • Куыдзыдзæхæра[2]
Polish
  • Cykoria podróżnik[2]
Portuguese
Romanian
Russian
  • Цикорий обыкновенный[2]
Serbian
  • Водопија[2]
  • Цикорија[2]
Slovak
  • čakanka obyčajná[2]
Slovenian
  • Navadni potrošnik[2]
Spanish
Swedish
Turkish
  • Beyaz hindiba[2]
  • hindiba[2]
  • Hindiba (Radika)[2]
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • yabani hindiba[2]
Ukrainian
  • Цикорій дикий[2]
Upper Sorbian
  • Wšědna změrniwka[2]
Welsh
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Cichorium intybus L. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Achicoria (ES) — VernacularName.tsv, line 141078; taxon V857.
  • Chicory (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 141079; taxon V857.
  • Gewöhnliche Wegwarte (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 141080; taxon V857.
[2] Cichorium intybus — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • chicory — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • chickory — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Cicoria comune — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Gemeine Wegwarte — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Achicoria — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • chicória — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • almeirão — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • sikuri — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • xicoira — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Цикорий обыкновенный — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Цыкорыя звычайная — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • wilde cichorei — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • bunk — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • blue weed — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • wild chicory — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • wild chickory — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Cikorija — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Ysgellog — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • chicoria — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Kaffifífill — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Mezei katáng — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Wšědna změrniwka — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Куыдзыдзæхæра — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Cicoare — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Beyaz hindiba — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Цикорија — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • čekanka obecná — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Κιχώριον το ίντυβον — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Cikorie — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • harilik sigur — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • 菊苣 — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Paprastoji trūkažolė — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • common chicory — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Кәдімгі шашырақты — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • sikori — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Синя жлъчка — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Cykoria podróżnik — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • עולש תרבותי — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • blue sailors — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Ραδίκι — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • هندباء برية — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • キクニガナ — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • cikoria — results[0].names[44]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • vägvårda — results[0].names[45]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Цикорій дикий — results[0].names[46]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Водопија — results[0].names[47]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • yabani hindiba — results[0].names[48]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Sigorei — results[0].names[49]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Navadni potrošnik — results[0].names[50]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • čakanka obyčajná — results[0].names[51]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Parastais cigoriņš — results[0].names[52]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • 菊苣 — results[0].names[53]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • blue dandelion — results[0].names[54]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Chicorée amère — results[0].names[55]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Blowball — results[0].names[56]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Chicorée sauvage — results[0].names[57]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Chicorée commune — results[0].names[58]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Chicorée intybe — results[0].names[59]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • mezei katángkóró — results[0].names[60]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Hindiba (Radika) — results[0].names[61]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • 菊苦菜 — results[0].names[62]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • hindiba — results[0].names[63]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • 치커리 — results[0].names[64]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.
  • Cama-roja — results[0].names[65]; taxon id 52913; Cichorium intybus.

General information

Scientific name: Cichorium intybus
Accepted name (Kew): Cichorium intybus L. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Asteraceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Cichorium (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Chicory
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Herbaceous
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.91–1.22 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Spread: 0.46–0.61 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Growth rate: Fast
Sources [3]
Foliage: Deciduous
Sources [3]
Growth habit: Erect

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [3]
Life cycle: Biennial, Perennial
Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 3a, 3b, 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [3]
Soil moisture:
Well-drained, Moist, Occasionally Dry

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [3]
Soil:
Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky
Sources [3]
pH:
Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Sources [3]
Light:
Full sun
Sources [3]

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Flowers, Root, Coffee
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Biomass production, Bee forage

Description

Leaves: raw or cooked. The leaves of the plant are quite bitter, especially during flowering. To reduce the bitter taste, the leaves can be blanched by covering them lightly, for example, with a bucket. However, blanching causes the plant to lose vitamins and minerals. The blanched leaves are also known as endive and are often used in salads in winter, when they are less bitter. The leaves can also be cooked. Flowers: raw. The flowers have a bitter taste, but are a nice addition to salads. Root: cooked (like parsnip). The young cooked roots are a delicious vegetable and are said to be ideal for diabetics due to their high inulin content. Inulin can also serve as a sweetener for diabetics. The root contains a combination of three types of sugars: pentose, fructose, and dextrose. Roots can be used in herbal soups, sauces, and gravies, giving the dishes a rich, deep color. The roots can also be roasted and serve as a substitute for caffeine. Young roasted roots have a slightly bittersweet caramel flavor, while older roots over two years are more bitter.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/05
Harvest ends: 30/11

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 885956; name ID 3134297; Cichorium L.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 170711; name ID 2901597; Cichorium intybus L..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Cichorium intybus

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 5236356, ID V857: Cichorium intybus L. (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Cichorium intybus — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: HeightSpreadGrowth rateFoliageGrowth habitLife cycleLightSoil moistureSoil textureSoil pHUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Height: Dimensions > Height; Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
    • Spread: Dimensions > Width; Width: 1 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in.
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • Soil pH: Soil pH
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .