Coffee Chicory Seeds

Chicory is grown for its nutritious leaves and roots, which can be eaten fresh, cooked, or roasted as a coffee substitute and a source of dietary fiber. It also serves as a cover crop or forage for livestock, enriching soil with nutrients it draws from deep underground and attracting pollinators to gardens. Additionally, chicory has medicinal uses due to its anti-inflammatory and prebiotic properties and historical significance as a coffee alternative.

Useful gardening information

Chicory Germination: Direct sow in early spring, planting the seed 1/4" deep in loose soil; keep the soil lightly moist until germination, which should occur in 10-14 days. This plant grows best in rich soil, but also adapts well to poor soil.

Growing Chicory Seeds: As the seedlings develop, make sure to remove all weeds and keep the soil consistently moist. Mature plants tolerate drought well. We cannot sell this seed to customers in CO or SD.

Harvesting Chicory: Cut young, tender leaves for fresh greens; do not freeze or dry them, since this deprives them of all flavor. They can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. The root can be harvested any time after four months of growth, but before the ground freezes.

G018 Coffee Chickory ( Chichorium intybus )

Chicory has been in cultivation since the days of ancient Egypt. The oldest publication about herbs in existence, authored by Greek physician Dioscorides, includes information about chicory.
Thomas Jefferson planted chicory in his gardens, recommending it in a letter to his friend George Washington as "one of the greatest acquisitions a farmer can have." Chicory's most well known culinary use is the use of the root as a coffee substitute or additive, since it has a soothing and relaxing effect that balances out the stimulation of coffee.
As a wildflower, this plant springs up everywhere with its bright blue dandelion-like flowers that open and close with the sun.
To use Chicory: Cut young, tender leaves for fresh greens; do not freeze or dry them, since this deprives them of all flavor. They can be stored in the refrigerator for several days. The root can be harvested any time after four months of growth, but before the ground freezes. How to make chicory coffee. Cannot ship to CO or SD.

All seed packets listed on this page are in stock and ready to ship.