Daucus carota Seeds | Purple Carrot
LATIN NAME: Daucus carota
COMMON NAME: Purple Carrot
Plant Profile
Daucus carota — Purple Carrot — is a species in the carrot family with genuine garden merit. Purple carrot tapers upright rosettes of feathery, finely divided, green leaves and long, slender, deep-purple roots that taper down into soil, sweet, orange core showing in the cross-section. Roots grow straight and smooth in loose ground, and they keep rich purple skin. It stands cool weather well, and it likes sun, and deep, light, well-drained soil. Its appeal to pollinating insects adds a second, ecological layer to its ornamental one. For the gardener, the sum of these traits is a plant that is easy to live with.
Science & Biotechnology
The species features in the wider study of the carrot family, and its traits make it a useful subject for work on germination biology, cultivation and ornamental selection. In carrot family, heritage roots have a long, colourful record in studies of root vegetables, and purple forms appear in research on anthocyanin pigments and straight taproot growth. Contemporary seed practice means a grower can raise it confidently with standard techniques.
Uses & Benefits
Beyond its ornamental appeal, Purple Carrot has the practical versatility that makes a plant worth growing from seed year after year. In kitchen garden, purple carrot tapers purple roots down into loose soil. Long, slender roots serve roasting, salads and juices, they add colour to plate, and sweet, orange core shows in the cross-section. It thrives in deep, light, well-drained, sunny ground. A plant that has settled in will get along with only routine care.
The carrot is a vitamin-A powerhouse through its beta-carotene, and wild carrot seed has a folk record as a diuretic; the vegetable’s eye-health reputation is one of the best-earned in nutrition.
Growing from Seed
Seed is the natural starting point for Purple Carrot, and the process is uncomplicated. Fill a pot with a light seed compost, sow evenly on the surface, cover thinly and stand it somewhere warm, bright and evenly moist. Grow the youngsters on steadily in pots until well rooted, then move them to their final positions.
Our Take
Purple Carrot repays a little patience at sowing time with plenty of garden presence later.
Related Reading
More species in the same orbit as Purple Carrot: