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Herbaceous Perennial

Cichorium intybus 'Electric Blue'

chicory 'Electric Blue'

A perennial forming a rosette of basal leaves and an erect, branching, slender stem to 1.2m tall that bears bright blue flowers in summer; flowers often close up after midday

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Ultimate height

1–1.5 metres

Time to ultimate height

1–2 years

Ultimate spread

0.1–0.5 metres

Chalk

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Well–drained

pH

Acid, Alkaline, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun

Aspect

South–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Exposed or Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Asteraceae
Native to the UK: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Columnar upright
Genus: Cichorium can be annual or perennial plants with loosely branched stems bearing toothed or pinnately lobed leaves and dandelion-like, usually blue flowers which close by early afternoon, in summer
Name status: Accepted

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile, well-drained soil in full sun

Propagation

Propagate by seed. See sowing vegetable seeds or sowing seeds indoors for further advice

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Gravel garden
Mediterranean climate plants
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

No pruning required

Pests

May be susceptible to aphids, slugs and snails

Diseases

May be susceptible to powdery mildews and rusts

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