Wild and free

On a bike ride, I stopped to photograph this fine specimen. Budding, thriving and flowering in the wild. common chicory is native to Europe, but introduced to and – apparently – widespread in North America and Australia. Plants are 2–4′ (60–121 cm) high, with tough grooved stems. Leaves: stalked, lanceolate, and unlobed, 3–13″ (7.5–32 cm) long.
Flowers: 1–1¾″ (3–5 cm) around, lavender, blue, violet, or sometimes white. Each petal tip has five serrations. The stigmas, small hairlike structures in the centre, are curled at the top and dark blue. Flowers appear from March to October. Stems branch sparsely, looking unruly and sometimes lying almost sideways. Broken branches ooze a milky sap.