Such A Tall Blue Flower!
Several days ago I came upon a very tall flowering plant that took me by surprise. It made me think of a plant that I often see with yellow flowers that is quite common in power line rights of way. This one, though, was definitely periwinkle blue! What in the world was this plant. As is my usual course of action, I took lots of photographs. This plant, the only one like it in the area, was very tall, well over 6 feet tall, and I had to bend it over to get a good look at the flowers. I was quite struck by the flower. It was so very similar to the flower of the Chicory plant.
A New Flower – To Me
This new flower, which I had never seen before was Blue Lettuce, Lactuca floridana. Since that first sighting I’ve seen it a few times at higher elevations, on plants that are more easily photographed, not nearly as tall.
Compare The Two
I’ve photographed the two flowers, so that you can use my hands as a means of measuring. The Chicory flower is nearly 1.5 inches. The Blue Lettuce flower is a good bit less than 1 inch. The Chicory flowers grow in groups of 1 to 3, while the Blue Lettuce flowers grow in clusters of 15 to 34. The Chicory plant grows from 1 to 4 feet tall. The Blue Lettuce plant will grow to be from 2 to 7 feet tall.
The Leaves Are Different Too
The leaves of the Chicory plant are narrow and can be dandelion like, while the leaves of the Blue Lettuce plant are wider and 3 to 12 inches long.
Another Periwinkle Blue!
So now I’ve added another periwinkle blue flower to my inventory of flowers here on the mountain. I’m always glad to find new and beautiful things!
7 responses to “Chicory Or Blue Lettuce?”
[…] Chicory or Blue Lettuce? […]
I found this lovely blue flower a couple of weeks ago growing on a common in Portsmouth, England. It is such a lovely colour, I’d never seen it before. I, like you, took some photos and showed a friend who knew it was a lettuce. Took a while to find out which lettuce it was and turned out it is Blue Lettuce. There are about ten plants growing in a row by a path, I found none anywhere else on the common. Who would of thought a lettuce would have such a lovely cooured flower.
Susan, it is fun to hear from you, and extra fun to hear that you have found this same plant. Lucky you, to have a friend who can identify plants for you, from your photographs!
This flower is indeed a beautiful color!
Thank you so very much for reading my post!
Thank you, very helpful descriptions when all I have is a photograph of a plant found in the local meadow in Buckinghamshire and I can’t check for leaf shape and milky sap! Mine is chicory, has sprung up in a field which is usually cut at least twice a year for hay and has been left alone this year. Along with all the hardys which spring up every year between cuts (clover, knapweed, scabious, cranesbill, several types of thistle to name a few), three elecampane plants have also stuck their heads up for the first time that I have noticed in over twenty years of walking by.
Justine, so very glad to hear that my post was able to help you! I really enjoy the lovely blue color of both these flowers.
Enjoy your walks. Such a great way to become close with nature.
Thank you for reading my blog!
Thanks for the good comparison of Blue Lettuce vs. Chicory. I’ve been trying to figure out what we have in the wilds of Lincoln, Nebraska. The leaf pictures confirm that it is indeed chicory. Appreciate your help.
I am jealous of your hiking opportunities. Life in the flatlands isn’t quite as exciting. But we do have lots of native prairie plants (our natural heritage) around here if you know where to look.
Hi Mark,
So very happy to hear I was able to help you figure out a mystery in your world! I love mysteries in the world of nature.
I’m very fortunate to live in the mountains, surrounded by just woods, and all that they hold. I’m sure that you have a treasure trove of fun things, yet to be discovered in your hiking. Get out there and observe!
Thank you so much for reading my post!