Cichorium spinosum

[Maggi Young]

Hello, I have been asked about seed of Cichorium spinosum
 by a French gardener who is seeking seed of this plant.

Can anyone help, please?

[Rodger Whitlock]

It's listed as a plant (not seed) by Wrightman Alpines in Ontario:

http://www.wrightmanalpines.com/

Not that this helps our French seeker, but at least he can now take comfort in the knowledge that the plant is in cultivation.

[Sinchets]

I've seen it growing on dunes in the south of Greece- maybe a holiday there would be cheaper than getting the plant from Canada.

[Lesley Cox]

I had this for many years and it is still grown in NZ though not by me. I think I may have had it originally from Potterton and Martin as it was then. It never set seed and I've never seen seed listed. Easy from cuttings though.

[Sinchets]

Did you rate it as a garden plant Lesley? It never struck me as of much interest when you see it on the dunes- not compared to some of the other plants Greece has to offer. I grew Lactuca intricata for a while for botanical interest, it flowered with peelywally little flowers and died- i wasn't too upset.

[Lesley Cox]

I rated it very highly and will try it again as soon as I find someone with a plant. I saw it in a garden I'd not visited before, about 18 months ago so I know it's around. It loves hot and dry and was easy as pie, flowering freely, a lovely clean blue. The only drawback was that the dead (flowered) branches needed to be clipped out to make it look tidy afterwards and while the spines are soft, it was still a prickly job. If you have a chance, do try it.

[Sinchets]

We are hoping to be in Greece in a few weeks- so I will take your recommendation and try to find a plant with seeds to share around.

[Carlo]

I've had seed from the exchanges...

[Rodger Whitlock]

I've had seed from the exchanges...

Don't tantalize us like that, man! Did it germinate?

[Lesley Cox]

Well?

[Carlo]

yes...a few germinated...but I wasn't able to get the plants out of their seed pots.

[Lesley Cox]

Do you mean that they grew very quickly and became root/pot bound?

[Carlo]

No Lesley, more unfortunate than that...

They didn't get enough attention amongst all the other seedling plants and weren't tended as I would have liked. Like our native Cichorium, I assume they are fairly tough plants, though coming from different conditions. I'll definitely try them again. Now I've got a bed that should suit it--in with the cacti and succulents.

I'm beginning to get the idea that it's given people trouble--and is relatively unavailable?

[Lesley Cox]

Well it never gave me any trouble. I lost mine when I moved and took only some cuttings which didn't get bedded in, what with so much else to do. Entirely my fault.

Yes it likes a warm and very sunny place but when it has new, very green growth, it doesn't like to be parched. Your cactus and succulent place could be TOO dry.

[Carlo]

Well that makes two of us that neglected them into submission. I think we must both try again.

As for the cactus and succulent bed, here it is a challenge to keep them dry--I think it would be just fine.