Flowers in the concrete

Late summer is great time to see wildflowers. Normally, when I think of wildflowers, I think of the ephemeral flowers of Spring, but these late summer flowers are holding their own, and they persist for weeks!

I've have been enjoying the flowers around the yard lately, like the purple phlox, the golden rod and the delicate woodland sunflowers, but there was a flower growing out of the concrete in the alley that I have developed a new fondness for. This flower is not unfamiliar to me but I have never taken the time to appreciate it or even to identify it.

The plant is called Chicory and it seems to be able to grow just about anywhere. It looks pretty scraggly at first, especially after the flowers have closed in late afternoon, but in the early morning, the azure flowers are stunning.

It is native to the old world but has been here since colonial times, and is now naturalized here. Apparently it has some beneficial properties. The toxins in it can help to control intestinal parasites in cattle, who knew?

You may have heard of it as a substitute for coffee, like during the civil war or something. The long tap root can be dried and ground up, but somehow I don't think it's going to be able to compete with my fresh ground french roast, so I don't think I'm going to try drinking it.

No, you don't need to start harvesting it's roots, but the next time that you're stuck in traffic, take a look along the curb, you might see a chicory flower.