Chicory - Cichorium intybus
Once, when I was about 20, I picked a bunch of roadside flowers for a bouquet. The bright blue flowers of chicory were particularly tempting, but I didn't realize the toughness of the woody stems. Picking them ripped up my hands, as the roadside collection trip was a spur-of-the-moment whim. To my disappointment, the blossoms only lasted a few hours, falling from the stems. Since that time, I have be happy to simply enjoy the flowers creating a blue stripe along roadsides and highways.
Native of Europe, the roots of chicory have been used as a coffee substitute. Not liking coffee, I have not tried it.
These particularly blue flowers were "captured" at Ha Ha Tonka State Park along Highway D near a parking lot on July 21, 2021.
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