Endive

Think of endive as the sophisticated cousin of lettuce. This cool-season, leafy vegetable is often used in gourmet salad mixes, where it helps add interesting texture and flavor.

Some forms of endive have broad leaves, while others have narrow, ruffled leaves. Curly endive is sometimes called frisee while broad-leafed endive is called escarole.

Belgian endive, with its pale green, scoop-shaped leaves, is technically a different species.

All endive must be grown in cool weather or else it will bolt. In Central and South Florida, it can be grown December through March. In North Florida, it can be grown September through April, though it needs to be protected from freezes.

UF/IFAS Sites

• Florida Plant ID: Endive
• Florida Plant ID: Escarole

Also on Gardening in a Minute

• Cool-season Vegetables
• Vegetable Bolting

Other Sites

• Cichorium endivia, Endive, Escarole, Batavia--Floridata.com
• Endive-Escarole--University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service (PDF)
• Endive-Escarole--Walter Reeves, The Georgia Gardener
• Growing Endive--Cornell (NY) Cooperative Extension (PDF)
• Growing Endive--Texas AgriLife Extension
• Ingrediants: Endive--Chow.com