Daucus carota
Common name: Carrot · Wild carrot · Queen Anne's lace
Daucus carota is a biennial in the carrot family (Apiaceae), grown for its swollen, edible taproot. The wild form, known as Queen Anne's lace, is native to Europe and southwestern Asia and has a thin, woody white root. Cultivated carrots were first domesticated in Central Asia and were originally purple or yellow, not orange.
Care summary
Sun
Full sun to light shade
Water
Consistent moisture, especially during germination
Soil
Deep, loose, stone-free sandy loam, pH 6.0–6.8
Hardiness
Zones 3–10 as a biennial grown annually
Mature height
Roots to 30 cm (12 in); foliage 30–60 cm (1–2 ft)
Pet safe
Non-toxic; roots and tops safe for pets
Difficulty
Easy
Propagation
Grown only from seed, sown directly in the ground, since the taproot makes transplanting unsuccessful. Sow 1 cm deep in loose, stone-free soil, keep the seedbed consistently moist until germination (1-3 weeks), and thin seedlings to 5-8 cm apart.
Fun facts
- Orange carrots are a relatively recent invention, popularized by Dutch growers in the 17th century.
- The idea that carrots give you night vision was British wartime propaganda meant to hide radar technology.
- Carrots left in the ground over winter produce a flat-topped flower umbel — Queen Anne's lace — in their second year.
- The orange color comes from beta-carotene, which the body converts into vitamin A.