MHG Volunteer Blog 30: Dyer's chamomile

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

Today, a new volunteer called Lillie joined us. Carole introduced Lillie to the other volunteers and showed her around the Medieval Herb Garden. Lillie had to read the MHG-specific health and safety guidance (with photos of the plants to be “wary of”). She then got to see them outside in situ.

Carole then chopped back some of the spent flowers, such as alecost, marigolds, and chicory. These are currently at least three weeks ahead of last year. She also harvested some lovage seeds for sowing next year.

Helen and Dave were kept busy weeding the MHG in the meantime.

Some unexpected, but most welcome, visitors this morning were three members of the Brazilian punk rock band 'Anti Virus'. Their lead singer was especially interested in the herbs. He translated our words for the other members of the band. He also explained to us how some of them are used in Brazil today.

Plant of the Week - Dyer's chamomile (cota tinctoria)

The word 'chamomile' comes from the Greek 'chamai', meaning 'on the ground', and 'mēlon', meaning 'apple'. This likely refers to the plant's low-growing habit and its flowers' apple-like fragrance.

The term 'dyer's' is added because the plant has been historically used to produce a yellow dye for fabrics. The name 'tinctoria' itself means 'dyeing' in Latin.

Its other names are yellow chamomile, golden marguerite and ox-eye chamomile.

In horticulture this plant is still widely referred to by its synonym, 'Anthemis tinctoria'.

Dyer's chamomile growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Dyer's chamomile is native to Europe, the Caucasus and Iran. This amazingly bright yellow flowered plant can flower from May to October. Last year in the MHG, it flowered for 30 weeks!

It is a clump-forming, evergreen perennial. However, it tends to go leggy and needs a good 'haircut' after flowering.  It can sometimes die after two years of growth.

It will grow in any neutral to alkaline, well-drained soil. It can grow anywhere but north-facing, in full sun to part shade. It will even survive maritime exposure. It grows to a height and spread of up to 2ft.

It has deeply-cut, ferny foliage. This is mid to dark green above and downy-grey beneath, and has a pleasant smell. 

It has long-lasting yellow, daisy-like flowers, with darker yellow dome-shaped centres. The flowers are borne on long, thin angular stems. They have an apple-like scent.

Culinary uses of dyer's chamomile

As a dye plant, dyer's chamomile has no historically recorded culinary uses. 

It's not to be confused with German or Roman chamomile, which are used in teas.

Dyeing with dyer's chamomile

Dyer's chamomile flowers can be used either fresh or dried. They have been used for centuries to dye fabrics.

Dyer’s chamomile contains several chemicals that contribute to its yellow dye. These include flavones like apigenin and luteolin, as well as flavonols such as quercetagin and patuletin. These compounds, when extracted and used with a mordant, can produce a range of yellow shades. Mordants, like aluminium sulphate (alum), are crucial for fixing the dye to the fibres and intensifying the colour. Without a mordant, the colour may be very pale or even colourless.

The plant is said to work better on wool and silk than on cotton.

Folklore and other facts about dyer's chamomile

Dyer's chamomile may be used in combination with yarrow and nettles to create a liquid fertilizer.

It is pollinated by bees, butterflies, moths, flies and beetles.

Medieval uses*

Some traditional medicine may have used dyer's chamomile. It has anti-inflammatory, anti-muscle spasm and soothing properties.

It was drank as a tea, which could be made either from the flowers or the whole plant. Applied externally, it was used as a poultice on haemorrhoids. It could be applied to bath water. The leaves were also rubbed onto insect stings.

Care must be taken, however, as it is possible that dyer’s chamomile can raise blisters on the skin.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

MHG Volunteer Blog 29: Clary sage

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

The recent downpour had left the Medieval Herb Garden a bit too damp to walk on. We don’t want to squash all the air out of it. Instead, Carole pricked-out the winter savory seedlings for selling later on in the year. 

Winter savory is growing near the liquorice. It has an amazing citrusy smell that everyone immediately loves when they smell it. So, we are glad to be able to add it to our stock of home-grown herbs!

Winter savory seedlings in the Medieval Herb Garden

Carole was on her own today. She also chopped back some weld. This will be dried and used in future dyeing workshops, along with our woad. She then spent half an hour re-writing the plant labels for the sales barrow. Pencil, felt-tip and ink don’t seem to out-last the sun, so it looks like pyrography may be the way to go.

Plant of the Week - Clary sage (salvia sclerea)

The Latin name for clary sage is 'Salvia sclarea'. It comes from the Latin 'salvere' (to feel well, to feel healthy, heal). The English name 'clary' derives from Middle English 'clarie', via Anglo-Norman 'sclaree'. This in turn is from Late or Medieval Latin 'sclarēia', a word derived from 'clarus', meaning clear. Its other names are 'clear-eye sage', 'see bright' and 'tout-bonne'.

Clary sage was first introduced into Britain from Southern Europe in 1562. It is a deciduous, bushy, clump-forming, biennial plant.

In its first year clary sage forms a rosette of leaves. In its second year a 3-to-4-foot flower stalk forms with thick, square stems covered in hairs. The leaves are approximately 1 ft long at the base, and 6 in long higher up the plant. The upper leaf surface is wrinkled, and covered with glandular hairs.

The 1 inch flowers are in whorls, with between two and six flowers in each whorl. They are held in large colourful bracts that range in colour from pale mauve to lilac or white-to-pink.

Clary sage will grow in any south-facing, well-drained soil, in sun or partial shade.

Clary sage growing in the MHG

Culinary uses of clary sage

When clary sage is very young, the leaves can be used for cooking. Chopped leaves used to be dipped in batter and fried to produce fritters.

The flowers have a long history of being added to salads. They made a popular drink before black tea arrived from China.

In the Middle Ages, it was common to use clary sage instead of hops in beer. It was also used to flavour vermouths, wines and liqueurs.

In Germany it is known as Muscatel sage. It was infused with elderflower and used in the 1500s to flavour wines. It made an imitation Muscatel (a wine made from muscat grapes).

Folklore and other facts about clary sage

Clary sage is associated with vision. It was used as an aid for meditation, even opening the ‘third eye’ of clairvoyants. It was thought to enhance the ability to dream and remember dreams. It was also used in love spells.

Clary sage contains sclareol. This is a scent molecule that can be used to mimic the effects of ambergris in perfume production.

Medieval uses*

Clary sage's medicinal uses have been described as far back as the 300s BC.

It was called 'clear eye sage'. Ancient herbalists used it as an eyewash to soothe and cleanse the eye. This was because of its antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory properties. It was also used for intestinal complaints, colic, soft bones and fractures. It could also be used to rejuvenate and calm the skin.

The chemical sclareol, found in the flowers, has also been explored for its potential in treating conditions like arthritis and dysmenorrhea.

Clary sage oil was renowned for its stress-relieving properties. The oil contains compounds such as linalyl acetate and linalool. These are known to have calming effects on the nervous system, promote relaxation, and even improve sleep quality.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

MHG Volunteer Blog 28: Lady's bedstraw

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

Another 'clammy' day!

Kaiden watered the rosemary wall and all the pots. Caroline started on the weeding and tidying up the rhubarb. Louis chopped back the horehound.

A visitor from Nottingham, here for the Liquorice Festival, asked if she could have some of the horehound off-cuts. She was organising a dried flower arrangement to celebrate the 90th anniversary of her local church. We happily obliged and gave her as much as she needed. The clusters of flowers and seed heads along the stems make the horehound a striking plant. It will make a wonderfully unusual display!

Horehound clusters growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Carole pricked-out some more seedlings, grown from seeds collected from the MHG last year. Today it was vervain, meadow sweet and more motherwort and angelica. After a week or so, they will go on sale on the plant barrow.

We still have some liquorice plants for sale on the barrow. However, all of the white cosmos was sold already at the weekend. 

After the usual flower-count, Carole spoke to some members of a school party from Bolton about "What is St. Anthony’s Fire actually?" and medieval herbs in general.

Plant of the Week - Lady's bedstraw (galium verum)

The common English name of this plant is 'Our Lady's Bedstraw'. It possibly comes from its medieval use for stuffing mattresses. The name could also come from the Christian legend that this was one of the 'Cradle Herbs', meaning it was in the hay in Jesus' manger at Bethlehem. Among its common names are: maid's hair, petty mugget, cheese rennet, bed flower, fenwort and hundredfold.

The genus 'Galium' comprises some 400 species of annual and perennial plants. It is related to cleavers, madder and sweet woodruff (which can also be found in the MHG). The species is self-fertile, being hermaphrodite (it has both male and female organs). It is pollinated by flies and beetles.

Lady's bedstraw growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Lady's bedstraw is native to the UK. It is a low, scrambling, carpeting, herbaceous, deciduous, perennial. It will grow in full sun or part shade, in well-drained, alkaline or neutral soil. It has stems which can reach 4ft. It has shiny, dark green, linear leaves, up to 1 inch long and 0.1 inch wide. The leaves are borne in whorls of 8 to 12, often rooting where they touch the ground.

It flowers in mid-to-late summer, when it produces upright, stiff stems. It produces frothy, terminal panicles (loose branches) of dense clusters of tiny four-lobed yellow flowers. The flowers are about 0.1 inch in diameter. They are honey-scented, and smell like new mown hay when dried. However, the plant has an astringent, bitterish taste. 

Culinary uses of lady's bedstraw

Lady's bedstraw flowers were used to curdle milk in cheesemaking. They were particularly used to make Double Gloucester, which also took its colour from the plant. The leaves of the herb are edible and can be added to salads or cooked. Roasted seeds are considered a good substitute for coffee.

In Denmark, the plant (known locally as 'gul snerre') is traditionally used to infuse spirits, making the drink 'bjæsk'.

A non-alcoholic drink can also be made by grinding the plant up, leaving it to soak in fresh water for a few hours, before straining it to drink.

Folklore and other facts about lady's bedstraw

In Norse traditions, lady’s bedstraw is associated with Frigg, the goddess of marriage and childbirth. It was believed that placing lady's bedstraw in a woman's bed during labour would ease her delivery. They called it 'Frigg's grass'.

Historically, the plant was used to stuff mattresses and cover floors. This is due to its supposed ability to deter fleas. More recently, it was thought that the dried plant could be used against clothes moths.

A red dye can be made from the roots. A yellow dye can be made from the leaves and flowers.

It is an important food source for caterpillars of the broad-bordered bee hawk moth.

Fans of 'The Archers' may remember that a 2002 poll by Plantlife resulted in Lady’s Bedstraw being voted the County Flower of Borsetshire.

Medieval uses*

Lady's bedstraw has a long history of use in herbal medicine. A powder made from the plant was used to soothe reddened skin and reduce inflammation. The fresh plant was also used as a poultice on cuts, skin infections, slow-healing wounds, burns and scalds. It was also used for destroying kidney stones and to soothe tired feet. It was also believed to act as a sedative.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

Cynthia Kenny: A city framed - now open at Wakefield Museum

We've opened a new exhibition at Wakefield Museum celebrating the life and work of local artist, Cynthia Kenny (1929-2021)!

The exhibition, Cynthia Kenny: A city framed, is open until June 2026. It explores our changing city through the artist’s eyes.

Photo credit: Nick Singleton

Cynthia Kenny was one of Wakefield’s most important artists. She painted places in Britain and beyond and exhibited around the world. But Wakefield always held a special place in her heart. From the 1960s to 2000s, Kenny documented Wakefield’s changing landscape.

The exhibition features cityscapes, rural scenes, and detailed studies of buildings. Visitors can admire iconic views and well-known landmarks and discover Wakefield’s hidden gems.

As well as producing her own intricate works, she was a founding member of Wakefield Art Club. Kenny was also a trustee for the Friends of Wakefield Art Gallery and Museum for many years.

The artworks are also brought to life by a new soundscape, created by artist Michelle Duxbury. Her recordings from the city to evoke a day in the life of Cynthia’s Wakefield. Duxbury has also recorded creative audio descriptions for several of the exhibition’s star works.

You can also find out more about Kenny’s influence and legacy. Enjoy an exclusive new film by Nick Singleton featuring interviews with Kenny’s friends, colleagues, and contemporaries.

The exhibition also reveals how Cynthia Kenny continues to inspire artists today, showcasing new photography by members of the Wakefield Museums and Castles Youth Forum.

There's more info, photos and videos from the exhibition on our Cynthia Kenny: a city framed page.

MHG Volunteer Blog 27: Liquorice

It's the return of Pontefract Liquorice Festival this weekend (Sunday 13 July)! 

So, we're afraid there's no prizes for guessing our Medieval Herb Garden volunteers' Plant of the Week this week...

Well, after the much longed-for heavy downpour at the weekend, the ground was still too wet to walk on today. Any weeding had to be done at the edges of the MHG.

We took some rose cuttings from the front garden. We put out some motherwort, angelica and goat’s rue plants on the sales barrow. Carole also made sure that there are plenty of liquorice plants available for the Liquorice Festival this weekend.

Whilst carrying out the flower count, Carole decided which plants to include in this Saturday’s free talk (1pm – 3pm). The plant list is always changing, so it’s never exactly the same talk twice.

Plant of the Week: Liquorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Liquorice is more than 30 times sweeter than sugar! It derives its name from the Greek words 'glycys' (sweet) and 'rhiza' (root). This Greek term was Latinized as 'liquiritia', from which came the Anglo-French 'lycorys'. 'Glabra' means smooth (relating to the seed pod). It was sometimes known as sweetwood.

Liquorice is native to West Asia, North Africa and Southern Europe. It is a bushy, deciduous, herbaceous, leguminous, perennial. It will not grow well on clay. It prefers rich, fine soil, where there is a lot of moisture during the growing period.

Liquorice in flower growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

It prefers full sun, facing South or West, where the ground bakes hard. Normally, liquorice doesn't show any growth until late May. It then grows to a height of 4ft with a width of 3ft. Liquorice has pinnate leaves about 7-15cm long, formed of 9-17 opposite pairs of leaflets.

The roots are deep, soft, flexible, fibrous and stoloniferous. Stoloniferous means the roots grow stolons. Stolons are creeping horizontal plant runners that take root at points along its length to form new plants. Liquorice runners can grow up to 20ft in length! It is a mix of the root and runners which are harvested as “liquorice root”.

Liquorice flowers in June to July. It has purple to pale whitish-blue pea-like flowers. The flowers are 8-12mm long produced in a loose inflorescence (cluster). The fruit is a pea-like, oblong pod, 20-30mm long, containing several seeds. New plants can be raised from either seed or root cuttings. 

There are various types of liquorice grown around the world. Glycyrrhiza glabra is the type that was (and still is) grown at Pontefract Castle. This type is considered to have a more delicate flavour than the types later imported into Britain.

Culinary uses of liquorice

Before the 1200s, liquorice was most commonly brewed into a stout beer. At the time of the Renaissance (starting around the 1400s), it began to be added to sweets. Liquorice was also used as a flavouring for bread and other baked goods.

Liquorice has also been used to flavour tobacco, ice-cream and medicines. It is marketed as a dietary supplement. In some parts of the Arabic world, the root of the liquorice plant is used to make a cold drink with a sweet and mildly bitter taste. This is called Erk al-sous.

And, of course - liquorice is still today made into the world-famous Pontefract Cakes!

Pontefract Cakes for sale at Pontefract Castle

Liquorice in Pontefract

Camden's 'Britannia' of 1607 noted that liquorice was growing in Worksop and Pontefract. By 1614, Pontefract was producing small, round lozenges that could ease coughs and stomach complaints. These were hand-stamped with a design to show their quality and authenticity.

In Pontefract liquorice was often grown in people’s 'gardens'. On a map of the 1648 Siege of Pontefract, liquorice is marked as being grown in 'garths' either side of Micklegate.

Soon, liquorice was being grown all over the town to supply the liquorice industry. The Castle was planted with liquorice after the English Civil Wars. The dungeon was used to store the root. Beds of liquorice lined Southgate and Micklegate, and there were plantations in the Friarwood Valley. By 1750, there were 47 growers in Pontefract. These met the increasing demand for liquorice.

In 1760, George Dunhill (an apothecary) created the first liquorice confectionery by adding sugar to the liquorice root extract. Dunhill called them Pomfret Cakes. These cakes were stamped with an image of Pontefract Castle. They were also widely known as Yorkshire Pennies.

A Dunhill's Pontefract Cakes box in the Wakefield Museums and Castles collection

At the liquorice industry's height there were 13 factories in the town, each with their own 'authenticity stamp'. On the 1933 Town Map there are 7 liquorice factories shown within a radius of a few hundred yards of the Buttercross.

Over time, Pontefract's confectioners began to close, merge with one another, or be acquired by their larger rivals. Today, there are only two manufacturers remaining in the town.

Folklore and other facts about liquorice

Roman soldiers chewed liquorice root as a medicinal stick for its thirst-quenching qualities and benefits for sore throats. Liquorice root has been found in excavations along Hadrian’s Wall.

The first secret ballot in a parliamentary election was held in Pontefract on 15 August 1872. The ballot boxes were sealed using a Pontefract Cakes stamp from Frank Dunhill's factory.

The waste root is now being made into a chemical wood pulp. This is pressed into a board and used to make boxes.

Objects made from Pontefract liquorice have appeared many times in films. In the 1979 Bond film 'Moonraker', Jaws is seen biting through a thick electric cable. This was a prop made out of liquorice from Pontefract!

In 1899, Bassett’s salesman Charlie Thompson visited a wholesaler in Leicester with his samples case of liquorice and cream paste specialities. The wholesaler initially refused each item offered. However, the items were accidentally spilled and got jumbled together. The wholesaler liked what he saw and placed an order for a ‘mixed’ delivery. Bassett agreed to this order. He asked Charlie Thompson to give the new assortment a name. Thompson called them 'Liquorice Allsorts'.

Medieval uses*

The earliest documented medicinal use of liquorice can be traced back to ancient Assyrian, Egyptian, Chinese and Indian cultures. Ancient Greek sources provide the first use of liquorice as a drug in Europe.

Liquorice is anti-inflammatory. It was used for asthma, diseases affecting the voice, mouth ulcerations, dry cough and hoarseness, wheezing and shortness of breath and for pains in the chest and lungs.

It was also used for the burning sensation of the stomach, diseases of the liver, bladder and kidney pain, kidney stones, artery diseases, heart palpitations, angina, skin lesions, ulcers, thirst, fever, neuralgia, hair loss, and menopausal symptoms. Liquorice was also used to make a tea which could mask the taste of other bitter medicines.

Liquorice is considered safe as a food ingredient - in moderation. Excessive consumption of liquorice can lead to lowered potassium levels in the blood, increased blood pressure, and to kidney and heart failure.

So, maybe don't devour all your Liquorice Festival goodies at once!

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

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MHG Volunteer Blog 26: Goat's rue

We're halfway through a year of brilliant weekly Medieval Herb Garden blogs! It was a hot one this week...

Find out more about the blog series here.

South-facing garden, clear blue skies and a temperature of 28°C before 9:30am – what a day! Today, we started (and finished) early due the heat.

We carefully worked around the fairy lights from Saturday's Proms at the Castle event, and helped to remove them. Dave, Caroline and Carole carried out some spot weeding - thistles, spent nigella, green alkanet, and of course the ever-present cinqfoil. Louis forgot to bring his long trousers - a must for the MHG! So instead, he helped to tidy up after ABBA at the Castle on Sunday and then watered all the potted plants.

Fairy lights for Proms at the Castle

After carrying out the Monday flower count, Carole talked with a group of students from New College Pontefract. They asked questions about volunteering in general and the MHG in particular. So, after 2 – 3 hours we all called it quits and went home for a lie down in a darkened room. 

Rain later in the week (hopefully).

Plant of the Week: Goat's rue (galega oficinalis) 

The English name 'goat's-rue' is a translation of the Latin 'Ruta capraria'. It was used for the plant in 1554 when it was considered to be related to 'Ruta graveolens', or common rue, and 'capraria', referring to goats. Its more modern Latin name, 'Galega', means 'to bring on milk'. It used to be fed to goats to increase milk production.

Goat's rue is originally from Europe and countries surrounding the Mediterranean. It is a robust, bushy, clump-forming, deciduous, leguminous, perennial plant. It grows to a height of 4.5ft and a width of 3ft.

It has smooth and branched stems. These bear pinnate leaves with from six to eight pairs of green, lance-shaped leaflets, ¾ to 2 inches long. The plentiful pea-like, white, lilac or purple flowers are borne on axillary erect racemes during mid-Summer to early Autumn.

Goat's rue will grow in sun or partial shade in moist, but well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil. It has a slightly sweet scent when bruised, and a bitter, acidic taste.

Goat's rue growing in the Medieval Herb Garden

Folklore and other facts about goat's rue

In ancient Greece, goat's rue was believed to be a gift from the gods to help humans with their ailments.

In some cultures, goat's rue is believed to bring good luck. It is said to protect against evil spirits and witches if hung above doorways.

Goat's rue is sometimes used as a natural dye, producing a yellow or green colour. It has also been used as a replacement for rennet during cheese-making.

Medieval uses*

Medieval herbalists often included goat's rue in their potions and remedies. They believed it had magical properties.

Goat's rue was used for plague, worms, digestive issues, snake bites, all kinds of fevers, small-pox and measles and St Vitus' dance. It has a long history of use as a galactagogue, a substance that promotes lactation in nursing mothers.

The plant was believed to have diuretic properties, helping to flush out toxins from the body. Some traditional practices suggest its scent may have calming or relaxing effects.

Raw goat’s rue is considered poisonous to livestock. While human poisoning is rare, the plant can cause headaches, weakness and potentially interfere with blood clotting medications.

Modern uses*

Culpepper’s 'Complete Herbal' (1653) said to use goat’s rue for symptoms we now know are symptomatic of type-2 diabetes. 200 years later, scientists discovered that goat’s rue is rich in a chemical called guanidine, which lowers blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, this can be toxic.

However, a chemist, George Tanret, identified a slightly less toxic compound from the plant called galegine. A synthesised form of this chemical is the basis for metformin. This is the most commonly prescribed drug for type-2 diabetes today.

*Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.

In time for Pontefract Liquorice Festival, next week’s Plant of the Week will be liquorice!

MHG Volunteer Blog 25: Chicory

It's time for the latest blog from our dedicated team of volunteer gardeners at Pontefract Castle.

Find out more about their blog series here.

Following Carole’s free talk last Saturday (in the rain - but no one seemed to mind), it was time for the start of the “great cut back”.  So down came the woad, purple comfrey, green alkanet, Jacob’s ladder and the sages.  These will all grow back again this year, and some will also re-flower.

Helen took sage cuttings for selling later in the year. Caroline and Louis pricked-out some angelica, motherwort and goat’s rue seedlings. Weeding was still to be done and the sales barrow was re-stocked with liquorice, dahlias, white cosmos and asters.

It took two people over four trips to clear all this woad!

Plant of the Week: Chicory

It has been suggested that chicory’s other name 'succory' came from the Latin 'succurrere' (to run under), because of the plant's tap root. It may, however, be a corruption of 'Ctchorium', a word of Egyptian origin. In various forms, this is the name of the plant in many European languages. 

Chicory has many other names such as blue daisy, blue dandelion, ragged sailors, wild bachelor's buttons and wild endive.

Chicory plants in flower in the Medieval Herb Garden

Chicory is a woody, herbaceous perennial originally from Western Europe and North Africa. It grows on roadsides, waste places and other disturbed areas. It prefers to be South-facing, in any well-drained, but not heavy, clay soil.

With a deep tap root, it can grow to a height of 5ft. The stems of the plant appear from a tough, grooved and hairy stem. The general appearance of the plant is "stiff and angular" as the lateral branches are set at a wide angle to the stem. The leaves are stalked, lanceolate (narrow oval shape with pointed end) and unlobed. They range from 3 to 12.5 inches in length and 0.75 to 3.25 inches wide. The leaves become smaller as they occur up the plant.

Chicory flowers in early Summer. There are many daisy-like flowerheads, generally in clusters of two or three. The flowers are 1.25 - 2 inches wide, and usually light blue. Rarely, it can also flower white and, even rarer, pink. The MHG has all three colours!

Of the two rows of petals, the inner is longer and erect. The outer is shorter and spreading. However, by early afternoon the flowers close.

Blue and white chicory flowers falling through fennel fronds

Culinary uses of chicory

Raw chicory leaves are 92% water, 5% carbohydrates, 2% protein, and contain next to no fat. They provide 23 calories (96 J) per 100g. They also have significant amounts (more than 20% of the recommended daily allowance) of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, some B vitamins and manganese. Vitamin E and calcium are present in moderate amounts.

It can be eaten raw as salad leaves and used to flavour bitter herbal custards and omelettes. The root can be baked or roasted. Chicory can also be boiled as a root vegetable, as long as the water is changed a few times to reduce the bitterness.

Chicory can be 'forced' like rhubarb. Deprived of light, the young leaves become blanched and greatly elongated. These leaves are soft and nearly free of the bitter flavour present when the plants are grown in the open air.

Globally, chicory is used as a coffee additive or replacement. Pure chicory drinks are also available. They are said to taste like coffee but with a slightly woody and nutty taste. This drink contains less caffeine than coffee.

Folklore and other facts about chicory

There are very similar stories about the origins of chicory from Roman, Greek, pre-Celtic and German folklore. Though slightly different in detail, they all contain the idea of a woman waiting or watching for her lover to return.

If the rare white flowers were placed under the linen shawl of a pregnant woman, it was supposed to make birthing easier.

It was valued for its ability to ward off evil spells or bad luck. The root was worn as a protective amulet, as it could break any magical spell.

Chicory has long been associated with coffee. In 1766 Frederick the Great banned the importation of coffee into Prussia. In response, Brunswick innkeeper Christian Gottlieb Förster invented a chicory coffee substitute.

It was also used in the UK during the Second World War. 'Camp Coffee', a coffee and chicory essence, has been on sale since 1885.

Chicory has been shown to reduce the severity of parasitic nematode infection in cattle.

Medieval uses*

Chicory was used in many European and North African countries and by native American tribes. The plant juice was used as a remedy for diarrhoea. The leaves and flowers were applied to boils and infected wounds, skin rashes, gout and to sore, inflamed eyes.

The root was widely used for gall bladder and kidney disorders, gastroenteritis and digestive problems, and for diseases related to the liver and spleen.

However, when taken too freely, it can cause pooling of blood in the digestive organs. If used to excess it is said to lead to sight loss.

*As always, this isn't to be considered medical advice today. Please don't use any plants mentioned in these blogs as medicine without advice from a doctor.