Chicory Archives

William Woodville: Physician, Botanist, and Early Vaccine Advocate

William Woodville (1752-1805), an English physician and botanist.

The Kings Cross Physician March 26, 1805 Today is the anniversary of the death of the English physician and botanist William Woodville. William was an early adopter of the botanist and physician Edward Jenner’s work on vaccines. So he became an outspoken advocate of vaccination – even trying to create his own smallpox vaccine. In…

A Second Look at Weeds with Pamela Jones: Yarrow, Chicory, Horsetail, Shepherd’s Purse, Ground Ivy, Oh My!

“I would like to see the word weed abolished altogether for being one of the most intolerant, negative words in the English language.” February 4, 1995 On this day, the North County Times ran a little article about weeds. It started with this question: “What do Yarrow, Chicory, Horsetail, Shepherd’s Purse, and Ground Ivy have…

February 4, 2021 Starting Seeds for the First Time, Henri Dutrochet, Ruth Havey, A Winter Larder, Bunny Mellon Garden Journal by Linda Holden, and the Secret Value of Weedy Plants

The Daily Gardener Podcast Album Cover with a pot of rosemary - the herb for remembrance - beckoning gardeners to remember to listen to the show. Updated September 2025.

A Wild Winter Garden Indoors: Susan Tyler Hitchcock on Foraging Through the Cold

A curly leaf variety of kale like 'Prizm' kale or 'Blue Curled Scotch' kale, or potentially a variegated form of Yellow Archangel (Lamiastrum galeobdolon Variegatum').

by Susan Tyler Hitchcock Most weeds don’t make it through winter. They need warm rain and steady sun. Frozen soil inhibits root growth; snowfalls discourage sprouts. Even watercress, which usually positions itself in flowing water, gets hurt by a freeze. If you live in an area where the snow falls over several months, …