Also used as a coffee substitute, this bitter-tasting weed grows aggressively in unkempt, high-traffic turf areas. It can be found all over the United States, except in Florida. Although it favors lime-rich areas, chicory will spring up perennially in many different soil types.
This European import spreads only by seed, but if left untreated, it can still be a huge turf problem. Each chicory plant will produce up to 3,000 seeds from June until September. It thrives in thin areas, or in newly established turf.
Chicory will not flower if it is mowed under 2 inches, making it easy to avoid spreading an infestation. Keep your lawn thick and healthy to avoid weed establishment.Apply aRoundup® Brand Weed & Grass Killer to an existing chicory problem. Make sure to spot-treat only the weed infestation, as this product will damage your turf. Reseed as necessary.
Chicory's stiff branches are usually between 1 and 6 feet tall. If you cut them open, they'll produce a milky juice. Both the hairy, oblong leaves and the blue, square-toothed flowers grow sparsely along the tall stems. The flowers track the sun's path until noon, and then they close up until morning.
