Gardening Edible Gardening Vegetable Gardening Radicchio By Viveka Neveln Viveka Neveln Instagram Viveka Neveln is the Garden Editor at BHG and a degreed horticulturist with broad gardening expertise earned over 3+ decades of practice and study. She has more than 20 years of experience writing and editing for both print and digital media. Learn about BHG's Editorial Process Updated on February 1, 2017 Share Tweet Pin Email Radicchio Overview Description Radicchio is an excellent addition to salads, adding crunch and a distinctive nutty, pleasantly bitter flavor. Its burgundy color is also gorgeous in among green leaves. Plant radicchio in spring a month before the last frost date or in mid-summer for a fall harvest. Best quality occurs when plants mature during cool weather. After harvest, remove the leaf veins to reduce bitterness. Genus Name Cichorium intybus Common Name Radicchio Plant Type Vegetable Light Part Sun, Sun Height 6 to 6 inches Width 6 to 18 inches Propagation Seed More varieties for radicchio Chicory Cichorium intybus, also known as chicory, is a common roadside wildflower with pretty blue blooms. It flowers its second year in the garden. Use tender chicory leaves in fresh salads as you would dandelion leaves. The long white taproot of the plant can be harvested, dried, and used as a substitute for coffee. Get weeds under control in your vegetable garden More Videos » Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit