How Tall Does Chicory Grow

If you’re thinking of adding chicory to your garden, one of your first questions is likely, ‘how tall does chicory grow?’ Knowing its height and growth patterns is key to planning your garden layout successfully. This versatile plant, grown for its leaves, roots, and beautiful blue flowers, has a surprising range depending on the type you choose and how you grow it.

Generally, chicory plants can range from a compact 12 inches to a towering 6 feet. That’s a big difference. The final height depends on whether you’re growing it for tender salad greens, for its root, or letting it flower freely. Understanding these patterns helps you give it the right space and care.

Let’s break down the typical height ranges you can expect. Chicory isn’t a one-size-fits-all plant. Its growth is divided into two main phases: the low-growing leafy stage and the tall flowering stage. Most gardeners interact with the plant during the first stage.

Leafy Stage (Vegetative Growth): When grown for greens like radicchio, endive, or sugarloaf, chicory forms a tight rosette of leaves close to the ground. In this stage, plants typically stay between 8 to 18 inches tall. The focus is on leaf production, not height.
Flowering Stage (Bolting): If left to bolt—usually in its second year or due to stress—chicory sends up a tough, branched flower stalk. This is where it reaches its maximum height. Flowering stalks can easily grow 3 to 5 feet tall, and some varieties, especially wild or naturalized ones, can hit 6 feet.

Height by Chicory Type

The specific variety you plant is the biggest factor determining height. Here’s a quick guide:

Radicchio: Grown for its tight, colorful heads. Usually remains very compact, around 8-12 inches in height.
Belgian Endive (Witloof): Grown primarily for its chicons (forced blanched heads). The outdoor plant grows a large root and a leafy top about 12-18 inches tall before the root is harvested for forcing indoors.
Sugarloaf and Escarole: These form large, loose, vase-shaped heads of sweet or slightly bitter leaves. They are among the tallest in the leafy stage, often reaching 18-24 inches in height and spread.
Catalogna (Leaf Chicory): Harvested for its loose, dandelion-like leaves. It grows in a rosette roughly 12-15 inches tall.
Wild or Common Chicory (Cichorium intybus): Often seen on roadsides with bright blue flowers. This is the type that regularly achieves heights of 4-6 feet when in full bloom.

Factors That Influence Chicory Height

Even within a variety, several factors can cause your chicory to grow shorter or taller than expected.

1. Growing Conditions

Chicory thrives in full sun and well-drained soil. Plants in ideal conditions—plenty of light, consistent moisture, and rich soil—will grow vigorously and reach their full height potential. In poor, dry, or overly shady spots, growth will be stunted, and plants may remain much shorter.

2. Spacing

Crowded plants compete for light and nutrients. This can result in taller, leggier growth as they stretch for sunlight, but the overall plant health will suffer. Proper spacing (usually 8-12 inches for heads, 6 inches for leaf types) ensures compact, sturdy growth.

3. Bolting (Premature Flowering)

Bolting is when a plant rushes to produce flowers and seeds, often abandoning leaf growth. It’s triggered by stress like high temperatures, long daylight hours, or inconsistent watering. When chicory bolts, it rapidly sends up that tall flower stalk, ending the leafy harvest stage. For salad greens, bolting is undesirable as leaves turn bitter.

4. Purposeful Cultivation

Are you growing it for a quick salad green harvest or for the long-term to collect roots for coffee substitute? For a quick green harvest, you’ll cut it young and it will never get tall. If you’re growing for the root, you’ll let the plant grow for a full season, where it may reach its full leafy height and potentially bolt in late summer.

Managing Chicory’s Growth in Your Garden

You have more control over your chicory’s height than you might think. Here’s how to manage it for your goals.

For Compact, Tender Greens (Keeping it Short)

Choose the Right Variety: Pick compact types like radicchio or specific heading endives.
Succession Plant: Sow seeds every 2-3 weeks in spring and fall to enjoy young, mild leaves before summer heat triggers bolting.
Provide Consistent Water: Avoid drought stress, a major bolt trigger. Use mulch to retain soil moisture.
Harvest Frequently: For loose-leaf types, use the “cut-and-come-again” method, cutting leaves about an inch above the crown. This encourages new, low growth.

If You Want Tall Growth for Flowers or Roots

Plant a Wild or Heritage Variety: These are genetically programmed for taller growth.
Give it Space and Time: Plant in full sun, space adequately, and allow it to grow through a full season without harvesting the leaves heavily.
Support Stalks if Needed: In very windy areas, tall flowering stalks might benefit from staking to prevent them from falling over.

The Growth Pattern and Lifecycle

Understanding chicory’s lifecycle clarifies its height changes. It’s technically a perennial, often grown as a biennial.

Year 1: The seed germinates and forms a low rosette of leaves and a deep taproot. This is the stage for harvesting leaves and roots. Height is minimal.
Late Year 1 / Year 2: After experiencing a winter (vernalization), the plant is ready to flower. When conditions are right in late spring or summer of its second year, it bolts, sending up the tall, rigid, branching stalk. It flowers, sets seed, and then the plant completes its life cycle.

In warmer climates without a cold winter, it may act like an annual and bolt in its first year once the days get long and hot.

Common Questions About Chicory Growth

Does cutting chicory back make it grow taller?

No, not really. Cutting back the leaves in a “cut-and-come-again” fashion encourages bushier, lower growth. If you cut off a developing flower stalk, it may try to send up another, but this drains the plant’s energy. It’s best to harvest leaves from plants you want to keep low and let other plants go to flower if you want height.

Can I stop chicory from bolting and getting too tall?

You can delay bolting by providing cool, consistent growing conditions, using shade cloth in peak heat, and choosing bolt-resistant varieties. But eventually, as part of its natural cycle, it will want to bolt. For continuous harvest of short greens, succession planting is your best strategy.

How deep do the roots grow compared to the plant height?

The taproot is the hidden half of the plant. While the leafy top may be 12-18 inches tall, the taproot can grow 3 to 5 feet deep in loose soil. This is why chicory is so drought-tolerant and why it’s hard to transplant—you almost always need to grow it from seed directly sown in place.

FAQ Section

Q: What is the average height of a chicory plant?
A: For most garden varieties grown for leaves, the average height is 12 to 18 inches. When it bolts to flower, average height jumps to 3-5 feet.

Q: How tall does radicchio grow?
A: Radicchio stays quite short, typically forming a tight head only 8 to 12 inches tall.

Q: What is the growth height of wild chicory?
A: Wild chicory is the tallest, regularly reaching 4 to 6 feet when in full bloom along roadsides and fields.

Q: Does chicory grow back every year?
A: It can, as it’s a perennial. However, after it flowers and sets seed in its second year, the original plant often dies. It readily self-seeds, though, giving the appearance of coming back annually.

Q: How much space does a chicory plant need?
A: Space plants 6 to 12 inches apart in rows 18 inches apart. This gives them room to reach their full width without excessive competition, which can affect their final height and health.

In conclusion, asking ‘how tall does chicory grow’ is the smart first step to growing it well. By matching the variety to your goal—whether its a short, sweet head of radicchio or a towering pollinator-attracting flower stalk—you can plan your garden perfectly. Remember, you control much of its height through timing, watering, and harvesting. With this knowledge, you’re ready to add this beautiful and usefull plant to your garden with confidence.