Radicchio care — light, water, toxicity and hardiness
Radicchio (Cichorium intybus) wants full sun and a drink about every 3 days once established. It is grown as an annual, so hardiness zones do not gate it.
| scientific name | Cichorium intybus |
|---|---|
| family | Asteraceae |
| category | vegetable |
| plant type | annual |
| light | full sun |
| water cadence days | 3 |
| mature height cm | 30 |
| frost tolerant | true |
| edible | true |
How often should I water Radicchio?
Colours up in cool weather.
Is Radicchio toxic?
We do not have a verified toxicity record for this species, so we will not say either way. Treat it as unknown around pets and children until a vet or a poison-control source says otherwise.
Who eats it
Palatable to browsing animals such as deer: low. Palatable to grazing animals: low. Palatable to people: yes.
What it needs
Its shade tolerance is high. Its moisture use is high. Its drought tolerance is medium. It wants at least about 20 inches of rain a year. Above roughly 60 inches of annual rain it struggles. It tolerates soil down to pH 6.0. It tolerates soil up to pH 7.5. Its fertility requirement is high. Adapted to coarse, sandy soils: yes. Adapted to medium, loamy soils: yes. Adapted to fine, clay soils: yes. Its tolerance of waterlogging is low. It needs at least 90 frost-free days. Its tolerance of chalky soil is high. Its fire tolerance is medium. Fire resistant: no. It has been recorded down to -43°F. It suppresses neighbours chemically: no.
How it grows
It grows as a bunch form. Its growth rate is rapid. Its lifespan is short. It puts on most of its growth in summer. It spreads by seed at a rapid rate. It resprouts after damage: no. Coppices: no. At maturity it reaches about 2.0 feet. Its roots go down at least 8 inches. Its shape is erect. It holds its leaves through winter: no.
What it looks like
It blooms in mid summer. The flowers are blue. Conspicuous in flower: yes. The foliage is green. The foliage texture is coarse. In summer the canopy is porous in porosity. In winter it is porous in porosity. Fall colour: no. The fruit or seed is brown. Fruit begins in summer. Fruit finishes by fall. It fruits medium. The fruit persists on the plant: no. The fruit is conspicuous: no.
Growing more of it
Propagated by seed: yes. Propagated by cuttings: no. Propagated by container: no. Propagated by bare root: no. Propagated by bulb: no. Propagated by corm: no. Propagated by tubers: no. Cold stratification required: no. Seedling vigour is high. Commercial availability: routinely available.
Source: Drafted from US Cooperative Extension horticulture guidance; pending HUMAN-05 review (issue 280) · 2026-09-02