The Ecological Benefits of Chicory

Hey dear Hive community, first of all I would like to wish you all a good day and hope you had a great start to the new week! In my new post, I would like to discuss the ecological benefits of a plant and hope you can learn something new.

Many flowers have already faded at this time of year and all the greater was my joy when I photographed this Chicory today which is also known by the scientific name Cichorium intybus. The long flowering period, which is from about June to November, makes this plant particularly interesting for insects and the enchanting blue flowers open in the morning hours and are closed again at noon. Sometimes you can even finde specimens with pink or white flowers and it is very easy to care for and absolutely recommended for anyone who values ecological gardens and is looking for something new! It is best to sew it in a sunny location and in the wild form you can usually find it on the edges of the road and the best time to plant it is already in spring. Chicory forms many seeds in late summer and this property can be used very well to help with reproduction and birds also appreciate the seeds very much.

Normally some bird species pick the seeds by themselves, but you can also support them and use them as food and since the Chicory is hardy anyway, this is a great way to offer a source of food for birds even in winter. The seeds are rich in important nutrients and perfect for birds to eat fat reserves and it can also be helpful and support sick birds in the healing process. The value of and pollen and nectar is extremely high and particularly attract butterflies, bees, bumblebees, hoverflies as well as some species of rare caterpillars and is a real magnet for insects. There are some species of wild bees and bumblebee species that has specialised in Chicory and also some species of beetles find their food here. In conclusion, I can say that it is extremely recommendable for anyone who values ecological gardens and my experiences with this plant are extremely positive, if you want to learn more about it, here you can find a contribution here where I have already discussed the history and also mythology.

Many thanks for stopping by and I hope you like my new contribution and hopefully I can motivate someone to plant these little miracle in the next year! I captured these pictures with my Camera Sony Alpha 6000 plus 55-210 mm lens!