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Chicory frequently grows along the compacted edges of
roadsides. Chicory has a bright blue, 1 ½ inch wide flower and grows
one to four-feet tall. Only a few flower heads open at a time and
each last only a day. I think the chicory flower shade of blue is
one of the most beautiful in our plant world. The roots are
sometimes used as a coffee substitute or additive. The Café Du Monde
in New Orleans is famous for its beignets and coffee-chicory blended
coffee.
Red clover’s purple flower often blooms along the roadways. Red
clover has one-inch wide magenta or purple flower heads at the top
of 6 to 24-inch tall plants. This is a three-leaf clover, with
leaflets blotched in white. As most of you know, if you look
carefully you might also find a rare four or five-leaf clover among
its vegetation.
The most obvious roadside plant is grass. Unmown grasses in full
bloom appear graceful as they sway with the wind (or passing
vehicles). Grasses make their peak in late summer but are attractive
even in winter when the golden, dead foliage creates a stunning
presence in a stark landscape. Common grasses along roadsides
include foxtails, fall panicum, and timothy.
Tucked among the grass, you will often see the dainty
white Queen Anne’s Lace. Queen Anne’s Lace, also known as wild
carrot, has lacy, flat-topped cluster of tiny cream-white flowers.
Each flower has one dark flower at the center. Although attractive,
this biennial plant is considered a troublesome weed. This edible
plant is the ancestor of the garden carrot. However, be careful
since some close relatives are very poisonous, including poison
hemlock and wild parsnip. [to top of second
column] |
In many areas, bright yellow Jerusalem Artichoke makes a spectacular show in
late summer into fall. This sunflower has a yellow, three-inch flower and can
grow five to ten feet tall. Native Americans cultivated this large, coarse
sunflower for its edible tuber.
Some roadside plants are not a welcome sight, and many are on the Illinois
noxious and exotic weed lists. Unfortunately, we still see them everywhere.
Musk thistle and ragweeds are noxious weeds in Illinois. Musk thistle has a
beautiful purple flower head, but it will quickly take over as it spreads.
Ragweeds are noxious within towns because the pollen released by their
inconspicuous green flowers cause severe allergies in some people. Teasel was
added to the Illinois exotic weed list in 2015 and is found in large numbers
along roads across the state.
I hope this helps you better appreciate the roadsides you drive past each day.
However, please remember these cautions: do not collect roadside plants and keep
your eyes on the road for safe driving.
[Source: Rhonda J. Ferree, Extension
Educator, Horticulture]
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