Cichorium intybus aka Chicory

Cichorium intybus, also known as common chicory or witloof chicory, is a somewhat woody, perennial herbaceous plant that is native to the Old World but has been introduced to the Americas and Australia. It belongs to the Asteraceae family and usually has bright blue flowers, though white or pink varieties also exist. Many varieties are cultivated for their salad leaves, blanched buds (chicons), or roots, which are baked, ground, and used as a coffee substitute and food additive. Inulin, an extract from chicory root, is also used in food manufacturing as a sweetener and source of dietary fiber. Chicory is grown as a forage crop for livestock. However, it can be weedy and invasive in fields, pastures, and along roadsides, especially in North America. "Chicory" is also the common name in the United States for curly endive (Cichorium endivia), which is a salad green. Despite its weedy appearance, witloof chicory plants have a double life and are responsible for the production of chicons, a bittersweet winter salad green that is considered a culinary delicacy in the U.S.