That Little Blue Flower

What is that blue flower lining some of the roads around Devil’s Lake State Park right now? It’s chicory! Chicory is native to Eurasia and was brought to America by settlers in the 1700s, originally for medicinal purposes.

During the Civil War, Southerners roasted chicory root as a coffee substitute when the real stuff was scarce. (Sadly it’s caffeine-free.) The tradition continues today in New Orleans coffee blends, which add chicory for its nutty flavor.

Why is it along the roads? Well, chicory seeds tend to collect near roads since they’re too heavy for the wind to move very far. Once there, the tough plant thrives in sun, salt, drought, and poor soil. It can be invasive.

Hopefully, this gives you a few more nature factoids to bore the kids with the next time you visit the park.

Derrick Mayoleth

For nearly 2 decades the Skillet Creek blog has focused on 3 main goals; To inspire you to visit and explore the Devil’s Lake region, to help you get the most your visit by sharing tips, events, and other helpful information. Lastly to advocate for our environment & wildlife and talk about how we can keep our natural areas amazing now and into the future! That last goal can sometimes cause controversy, but it’s the only way we can accomplish the first two. – Derrick Mayoleth, Owner.