Wildflower Wednesday: Spotting Common Chicory’s electric‑blue blooms

Electric‑blue common chicory lighting up a dusty roadside in Summit County—proof that even hard‑packed soil can burst into bloom. Photo: Rebecca Brenner

PARK CITY, Utah — Roadsides and trailheads across Summit County are lit with flashes of electric blue right now. The culprit is common chicory—a Eurasian transplant that’s made itself at home in Utah’s dry ground.

Chicory is a somewhat invasive plant that flowers from late spring through the middle of fall. Chicory thrives where soil is hard‑packed and rocky, according to Utah State University Extension’s Range Plants of Utah guide.

ID tips

Each flower head is a stack of ray florets, squared off at the tips and about 1½ inches wide. The rays open with the sun and often close by late afternoon. As USU Extension notes, “The flowers are light blue normally, but sometimes are white or pink and the rays have toothed lips.”

Stems stand two to six feet tall, usually leaf‑bare except near the base. Break one and you’ll see milky latex—another hallmark the guide mentions.

Ecology & spread

The plant’s secret weapon is its root. “The deep taproot enables it to grow in hard‑packed, rocky ground. It is drought tolerant,” the guide explains—one reason you’ll see it holding its own along parking lots in triple‑digit heat. Pollinators benefit from the flowers, as land managers keep an eye on its tendency to edge out natives.

Human uses

Early settlers intentionally brought chicory west. USU Extension points out that “The roots are roasted and ground to make chicory coffee which has no caffeine,” and tender young leaves were once boiled as greens.

Stewardship snapshot

• Enjoy the blooms, but pull isolated plants before they set seed if you’re protecting a native wildflower patch.

• Leave roadside stands alone; they’re valuable nectar sources for bees during midsummer’s floral lull.

TownLift’s Wildflower Wednesday series will continue tracking late-season blooms. Have photos/videos of Park City’s night sky? Share with tips@townlift.com for a chance to be featured!