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Daucus carota - Wild Carrot

Updated: 1 day ago

Explore Daucus carota (Wild Carrot) - its characteristics, habitat, cultivation, propagation, and functional uses and benefits.

Daucus carota - Wild Carrot

Daucus carota | Botanical Characteristics

Common Names: Wild Carrot, Queen Anne's Lace

Family: Apiaceae

Appearance: Biennial plant with finely divided, feathery leaves and a taproot. It produces an umbel of small white flowers with a characteristic purple spot in the center.

Type: Biennial

Evergreen / Deciduous: N/A

Layer: Herb

Root System: Features a long, thick taproot

Height: Up to 1 meter

Width: Approximately 0.5 meters

Lifespan: 2 years (biennial)

Growth Rate: Moderate

Fertility: Self-fertile

Flowers: Hermaphroditic

Pollinator: Attracts various pollinators including bees and butterflies

Toxicity: Edible when young, but caution as the plant resembles poisonous hemlock

Daucus carota | Habitat and Cultivation

Range

  • Native Range: Europe and Southwest Asia

  • Companionship: Often found with grasses and other meadow plants

  • Invasive Range: Naturalized in many parts of North America

  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 3 - 10

  • Minimum Chill Hours Required: None specified

Resistance/Tolerance

  • Poor Soil: High tolerance

  • Drought: Moderate tolerance

  • Shade: Low tolerance

  • Flood: Low tolerance

  • Wind: High tolerance

  • Maritime: Moderate tolerance

  • Air Pollution: High tolerance

  • Fire: Low tolerance

Thriving Conditions

  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

  • Soil Moisture: Prefers moderately moist conditions

  • Soil Type: Prefers well-drained sandy or loamy soils

  • Soil PH: Prefers slightly acidic to neutral (6.0 - 7.5)

Propagation

  • Seeds: Propagated by seeds, often self-seeding in the wild

  • Cuttings: Not typically propagated by cuttings

Daucus carota | Functional Uses and Benefits

Edible: The young roots are edible, though they are more fibrous than cultivated carrots. The leaves can also be used in small amounts.

Medicinal: Traditionally used to support digestion and as a diuretic

Cosmetics: Not typically used in cosmetics

Animal Feed: Occasionally grazed by livestock

Fiber: Not used for fiber

Timber: Not used for timber

Firewood: Not used as firewood

Wind Break: Not used as a windbreak

Fence: Not used as a barrier plant

Cover Crop: Not used as a cover crop

Mulch: Not typically used as mulch

Nitrogen Fixer: No

Dynamic Accumulator: No significant data available

Pollinator Attractor: Yes, attracts bees, butterflies, and other insects

Pest Repellent: Not typically known as a pest repellent

Wildlife Supporter: Provides nectar for pollinators and seeds for birds

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