The sweet and simple chicory

[Steve Foss]

I was heading out the Fernberg late this morning on my way to a photo booking and noticed a big patch of cornflower blue flowers along a new roadside. Chicory, I thought, has to be chicory. Now, chicory is not very common at all up here in the northern reaches of the Minnesota Arrowhead, and I hadn't photographed it before.

I made a mental note and went on my way. Shortly after the booking was complete it started to rain, but I decided to hit the chicory palace on the way home, anyway. Flowers photograph beautifully in the rain.

So here's the chicory, once a valued coffee substitute (chicory root used to supplement the dwindling coffee supply of settlers), and now considered simply a roadside weed in places south and west of here.

All with the Canon 30D and Canon 100 f2.8 macro, handheld at iso400

Budding

1/160 at f6.3

Two on the stalk

1/250 at f6.3

Ruffles have ridges

1/100 at f8

[mmeyer]

Those are pretty cool flowers Steve. I like the last image the best. I'm pretty sure we don't have those around here either.

[Dbl]

Last for me as well.

[finnbay]

Simple shots with great results. Like we were talking last week, lots of material to shoot if you stop to look for even the small stuff.

[DeeDee]

I just love the color.

[mountaindew]

I agree..last pic is super! Those images are just great! I love it how the background green blends in! Great pics Steve!

[Catmendo]

Good work Steve. I can't say that I've seen them either?

[Steve Foss]

Thanks, everybody. Stu, when I was out in western Minnesota in early July they were blooming. Look for them next summer in roadside ditches.

These are the only ones I've ever seen up here by Ely, and things bloom later here than on the prairie in general, with all the flowers being about two weeks later even than that because of the late spring.