This one is a well-known edible plant, the roots being ground for “chicory coffee”, a specialty of Cajun cooking in Louisiana. Leaves have been used since Roman times for medicines. But the electric blue flowers are what makes chicory famous. Along a roadside in bright sun, this is one of the biggest shows in the flower kingdom. Everyone loves the brilliant blue, even though the flowers close in the afternoon and on cloudy days. The subject of several romantic legends, chicory is one of our most historic wildflowers.