Chicory (Cichorium Intybus)

Chicory flowers are bright blue in colour. The plant has been used as a treatment for such everyday ailments as gallstones, intestinal worms and bruises.

The leaves can be eaten green in salads but are paler, tender and less bitter when grown in darkness.

Kingdom: Plantae

Clade – Angiosperms

Distribution: Probably native in most of Europe, Western Asia, Northern Africa

Height & Spread: 30 cm – 1.2 m

Habit & Form: Herbaceous Perennial 

Leaf Shape: Basal leaves lobed, stem leaves, lanceolate

Pollinated: Insect

Genus: Cichorium 

Species: C. Intybus

Common Chicory is grown as a forage crop for livestock. It is also known as blue diary, blue sailors, blue weed, coffee weed, corn flour, horse weed, wild bachelors buttons.

Cichorium Intybus var.sativum has been cultivated in Europe for its long stout taproot, which is roasted and ground as coffee substitute or additive.

Medicinal Usage:

• Root Chicory; roots are baked, roasted, ground and are used as an additive, specially in the Mediterranean region.
• Wild Chicory leaves have bitter taste, used in certain cuisines such as ligurian and apulian regions of Italy.
• Root extract is mild sedative and used for gallbladder and liver ailments and is also antibacterial and used to lower heart rate.
• Chicory may be cultivated for its leaves, usually eaten raw as salad leaves.
• In traditional medicine, Chicory has been listed as one of the 38 plants used to prepare BFR. According to a Cancer research in UK “An essence therapist believes that using Natural Bach Flower Essences can help to increase your mental, emotional and spiritual wellbeing. These essences are not used to prevent, control or cure cancer or any other physical condition”.
• Able to love and giving same amount of love is the key to happiness in today’s world. In family and friends, there is always someone who is in need to love oneself and seek love from external world. Such people are in lack of love, affection and attention from their family & would do all actions, tantrums required to seek attention. 
• Children who are brought up rough and tough with no pampering and are devoid of love, affection are the ones who would benefit from Chicory Flower Remedy.
• Chicory BFR would help in gaining inner confidence and ability to love oneself unconditionally, also it would decrease the expectation attitude towards others.