Daucus carota

Daucus carota (carrot) — a hardy root crop first domesticated in Central Asia, where early types were purple and yellow; the sweet orange carrot was popularised by Dutch growers. The botanical home of our carrot range.

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  • Summer Carrot Purple Sun F1 seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Summer Carrot Purple Sun F1 (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Summer Carrot Seeds Purple Sun F1 Daucus Carota Annual
    68,00 kr

    Vibrant purple summer carrots for garden rows summer carrot seeds Purple Sun F1 are an annual vegetable choice for growers who want striking colour in the kitchen and the garden. This purple carrot F1 hybrid...
  • Red Ornamental Carrot Dara seeds (Daucus carota) – biennial vegetable Red Ornamental Carrot Dara (Daucus carota) – biennial vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Red Ornamental Carrot Seeds Daucus Carota Biennial Dara
    57,00 kr

    Red umbel blooms for borders and bouquets red ornamental carrot seeds are a distinctive biennial flower choice for gardeners who love airy, lacy umbels with rich, shifting tones. This ornamental selection, also known as Daucus...
  • Carrot Rainbow Mix F1 seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Carrot Rainbow Mix F1 (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Carrot Rainbow Mix F1 Seeds Daucus Carota Annual
    68,00 kr

    Rainbow carrot roots for colourful kitchen use carrot rainbow mix f1 seeds are an annual vegetable garden choice for growers who want a multicolour carrot seed mix with soft, pastel coloured carrot roots. This F1...
  • Carrots Redsun F1 seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Carrots Redsun F1 (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Carrots Redsun F1 Seeds Daucus Carota Annual
    79,00 kr

    Carrots Redsun F1 for vibrant gardens carrots redsun f1 seeds are an annual root vegetable choice valued for their distinctive red roots and reliable, uniform performance in the vegetable patch. This red carrot F1 hybrid...
  • Carrots Parijse Markt 4 seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Carrots Parijse Markt 4 (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Carrots Parijse Markt 4 Seeds Daucus Carota Annual Variety
    57,00 kr

    Round summer carrots for compact, even roots carrots parijse markt 4 seeds are an annual vegetable seed variety valued for producing round, uniform carrots that suit many kitchen uses. This is a classic round carrot...
  • Carrot Tape Rainbow Mix seeds (Daucus carota) – annual seed tape Carrot Tape Rainbow Mix (Daucus carota) – annual seed tape seeds from SeedsChoice
    Carrot Seed Tape Daucus Carota Annual Rainbow Mix
    57,00 kr

    Rainbow carrots made easy with seed tape carrot seed tape is a practical way to grow a colourful annual carrot mix with neat, evenly spaced seeds already set on a paper strip. This rainbow carrot...
  • Carrot Caravel F1 seeds (Daucus carota) – organic annual vegetable Carrot Caravel F1 (Daucus carota) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Carrot Caravel F1 Seeds Organic Daucus Carota Annual
    57,00 kr

    Organic Nantes summer carrot with uniform roots carrot caravel f1 seeds are an organic, annual vegetable choice for growers who want a dependable Nantes-type summer carrot with consistent shape. This F1 hybrid carrot seed produces...
  • Fodder Carrot Jaune De Doubs seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Fodder Carrot Jaune De Doubs (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Fodder Carrot Seeds Jaune De Doubs Daucus Carota Annual
    57,00 kr

    Classic yellow fodder carrot for open ground fodder carrot seeds jaune de doubs are an annual root-vegetable option valued for reliable performance and a traditional look in the garden. This jaune du doubs carrot variety...
  • Carrot Amsterdam 2 Early Harvest seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Carrot Amsterdam 2 Early Harvest (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Carrot Amsterdam 2 Seeds Daucus Carota Annual Variety Early Harvest
    57,00 kr

    Classic early summer carrot for garden beds carrot amsterdam 2 seeds are a reliable choice for anyone looking for an early summer carrot variety with a neat, uniform look. This Amsterdam 2 carrot variety is...
  • Winter Carrot Bergen F1 seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Winter Carrot Bergen F1 (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Winter Carrot Seeds Bergen F1 Daucus Carota Annual
    68,00 kr

    Winter carrot seeds for reliable late harvests winter carrot seeds Bergen F1 are a dependable choice for gardeners looking for a late season carrot variety suited to open ground sowing carrots. This F1 hybrid carrot...
  • Summer Carrot Flyaway F1 seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Summer Carrot Flyaway F1 (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Summer Carrot Flyaway F1 Seeds Daucus Carota Annual
    79,00 kr

    Summer carrot for open ground vegetable beds summer carrot flyaway f1 seeds are a reliable choice for gardeners looking for an early-to-midseason Daucus carota with uniform roots and a crisp, sweet carrot flavour. This summer...
  • Carrots Nantes 2 seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Carrots Nantes 2 (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Carrots Nantes 2 Seeds Daucus Carota Annual
    51,00 kr

    Nantes 2 carrot seeds for summer harvests carrots nantes 2 seeds are a classic Nantes-type option for gardeners who want uniform, long slender carrots with a smooth, cylindrical shape. This annual vegetable is valued for...
  • Carrot Chantenay seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Carrot Chantenay (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Carrot Chantenay Seeds Daucus Carota Annual Variety
    51,00 kr

    Carrot variety for reliable summer garden harvests carrot chantenay seeds are an annual vegetable garden choice valued for sturdy, thick roots and consistent performance in the kitchen garden. This Chantenay type is known as a...
  • Winter Carrot Berlikum 2 Storage seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Winter Carrot Berlikum 2 Storage (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Winter Carrot Berlikum 2 Storage Seeds Daucus Carota Annual
    51,00 kr

    Winter carrot for reliable garden harvests winter carrot berlikum 2 seeds are a classic choice for gardeners looking for a dependable winter storage carrot variety with a uniform root shape. This annual vegetable is known...
  • Carrot Yellowstone F1 seeds (Daucus carota) – organic annual vegetable Carrot Yellowstone F1 (Daucus carota) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Carrot Yellowstone F1 Seeds Organic Daucus Carota Annual
    57,00 kr

    Organic bright yellow carrots for kitchen gardens carrot yellowstone f1 seeds are an organic, annual vegetable choice for growers who want a distinctive yellow-rooted carrot in the plot. This Yellowstone F1 carrot variety is known...
  • Carrot Tape Nantes 2 seeds (Daucus carota) – annual seed tape Carrot Tape Nantes 2 (Daucus carota) – annual seed tape seeds from SeedsChoice
    Carrot Seed Tape Nantes 2 Daucus Carota Annual Vegetable
    57,00 kr

    Carrot seed tape for neat garden rows carrot seed tape is a practical way to place seeds evenly for tidy, consistent rows in the vegetable garden. This variety is Nantes 2, valued for producing large,...
  • Carrot Paris Market 4 seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Carrot Paris Market 4 (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Carrot Seeds Paris Market 4 Daucus Carota Annual
    51,00 kr

    Compact Paris Market carrots for small spaces carrot seeds paris market 4 are a classic choice for gardeners who want a reliable, space-saving crop for patios, balconies, and small beds. This Paris Market carrot variety...
  • Wild Carrot seeds (Daucus carota) – biennial vegetable Wild Carrot (Daucus carota) – biennial vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Wild Carrot Seeds Daucus Carota Biennial Flower
    57,00 kr

    Wildflower character with airy, lace-like umbels wild carrot seeds are a classic choice for a naturalistic flower garden, bringing delicate, umbrella-shaped blooms that are often compared to a small bird’s nest. This biennial wildflower is...
  • Summer Carrot Nantes 2 10g seeds (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable Summer Carrot Nantes 2 10g (Daucus carota) – annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Summer Carrot Nantes 2 Seeds Daucus Carota Annual 10g
    51,00 kr

    Summer carrot Nantes 2 seeds for gardens summer carrot nantes 2 seeds are a reliable choice for vegetable beds and kitchen gardens, producing long, slender roots with a uniform Nantes-type shape. This sweet summer carrot...
  • Winter Carrot Flakkeese 2 seeds (Daucus carota) – organic annual vegetable Winter Carrot Flakkeese 2 (Daucus carota) – organic annual vegetable seeds from SeedsChoice
    Winter Carrot Seeds Organic Daucus Carota Annual Flakkeese 2
    57,00 kr

    Organic winter carrot seeds for dependable harvests winter carrot seeds are a reliable choice for gardeners looking for a maincrop carrot with strong performance and excellent keeping quality. This organic selection, Flakkeese 2, is known...

Daucus carota — the carrot

Daucus carota is the botanical name for the carrot, a hardy biennial in the carrot family (Apiaceae) that is almost always grown as an annual for its sweet, crunchy root. It is the species behind our whole carrot range within the root vegetable collection.

History & origin

The cultivated carrot traces back to Persia and Central Asia — the region of modern Afghanistan — where the first domesticated roots, grown well over a thousand years ago, were purple and yellow rather than orange. From there carrots spread west through the Arab world and into Europe by the Middle Ages, and east into China and Japan.

The familiar deep-orange carrot is a relatively recent arrival: it was selected and popularised by Dutch growers in the 16th and 17th centuries, refined from yellow stock into the sweet, vitamin-rich root we know today — part of the reason the carrot remains so closely tied to the Netherlands. Its wild ancestor, also known as Queen Anne's lace, still grows across Europe and Asia and shows where all that feathery carrot foliage comes from.

Botanical characteristics

Grown for its swollen taproot, Daucus carota forms a feathery rosette of leaves in its first year and, if left in the ground, sends up a lacy white flower umbel in its second. Roots vary enormously: quick round and stump-rooted types for shallow soils and pots, long maincrops for storing, and a rainbow of colours from orange to purple, yellow, red and white. Their sweetness comes from sugars that build as the root matures, often improving after a touch of autumn cold. Quick early carrots feature among our fast-growing vegetables, while short types thrive in our container range.

Growing Daucus carota from seed

Carrots are always sown direct where they are to grow — they resent transplanting, which causes forked, misshapen roots. Sow thinly into light, stone-free, un-manured soil and keep it evenly moist for steady growth. Their one real enemy is carrot fly, so sow sparingly to avoid thinning, and grow under fine mesh or alongside onions to throw the pest off the scent. Our soil guide explains how to get the fine tilth carrots love, while the vegetable sowing calendar shows the windows for successional sowing from spring to late summer.

Ready to grow carrots? Browse the varieties or read up first.

Related categories: Carrot · Root Vegetables · Beetroot · Parsnip · All Vegetables

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is Daucus carota?
It is the botanical name for the carrot, a biennial root vegetable in the carrot family (Apiaceae).

Where do carrots originate?
From Persia and Central Asia — around modern Afghanistan — where the earliest cultivated roots were purple and yellow.

Why are carrots orange?
The sweet orange carrot was selected and popularised by Dutch growers in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Is the carrot annual or biennial?
It is a biennial, but it is grown as an annual and harvested for its root in the first year.

How do I grow carrots from seed?
Sow direct into light, stone-free soil and never transplant them; keep them evenly watered.