Did you know that carrots can also be found in nature? You've probably seen the wild variant before. In our profile, we present the wild carrot in more detail and tell you where you can find the plant.

In a nutshell

  • from the umbelliferae family
  • biennial cycle with storage root and inflorescence
  • prefers sunny, dry, calcareous locations
  • widespread: roadsides, dams, meadows, fallow land

PROFILE - Wild carrot

The wild carrot (Daucus carota subsp. carota) used to be a popular vegetable. Today, however, only very few know them. All important facts about the wild plant are therefore summarized in our profile:

  • Order: Apiales (Apiales)
  • Family: Apiaceae
  • Genus: Carrots (Daucus)
  • Natural occurrence: Europe, North Africa, Macaronesia, Asia, Caucasus region
  • Growth height: 20 - 120 cm
  • Cycle: biennial: first year developing a storage root; second year inflorescence
  • Roots: deep-rooted up to 80 cm
  • Root color: white
  • Flower color: white
  • Fruit ripening: July to September
  • Germination: cold germinator
  • Use: kitchen and medicinal plant
The roots of the wild carrot are similar to those of the garden carrot that we are familiar with.

Tip: All parts of the wild carrot are edible. The wild carrot is slightly sweeter than the garden carrot variety and can be used in salads, as a vegetable, as a decoration or as tea.

Look

The plant, also known as yellow turnip, consists of several parts:

  • root: white; pale; thickened; with typical transverse furrows; lignified in the second year
  • stem: erect; abundantly branched; covered with protruding small bristles
  • leaves: pinnate two to four times
  • bracts: long, three-part pinnate
  • flower: white; four-beam; a small purple to black colored "moor flower" in the middle

When fully blossomed, the flower of the herbaceous plant is flat and curved. On the other hand, during flowering, damp weather and during fruit ripening, the umbel resembles the shape of a bird's nest. The nectar-bearing flowers are among the most common flowers along the wayside and are an important source of food for

  • dovetail
  • wild bees
  • sand bees
  • sawflies
  • bugs
  • Beetle
  • To fly

After flowering, a bird's nest-like infructescence with egg-shaped burdock fruits develops.

In certain situations, the blossom of the wild carrot arches like a bird's nest.

Notice: Since the wild carrot is a hibernator, the sprout remains visible even after the growing season.

Location of the wild carrot

The wild carrot is relatively undemanding per se and requires only a few nutrients. It can adapt to many soil conditions and is therefore now widespread all over the world. It prefers to grow in the lowlands and hills of suboceanic to subcontinental and subtropical to north moderate climate zones. It thrives best in sunny locations with dry, well-drained and calcareous soil. You can mostly find them

  • waysides
  • damming
  • sunny embankments
  • open meadows and pastures
  • wasteland
  • ruderal locations
  • perennial and weed corridors

Where the plant occurs, it is usually found in larger quantities.

Wild carrots are among the most common meadow plants.

frequently asked Questions

Is the wild carrot related to the garden carrot (Daucus carota subsp. sativa)?

Yes, it is probably a parent of today's garden carrot. This was created after multiple crossings of different types of carrots and has existed in its current form since around the 18th century.

Why isn't the wild carrot yellow?

This is mainly due to the low carotene content in the wild carrot. The natural coloring agent carotene is responsible for the typical yellow-orange coloring of the garden carrot.

Can I confuse wild carrots with other plants?

Yes. Many umbellifers resemble wild carrots in appearance. However, the plant is usually easily recognizable by the moor blossom and the carrot-like smell of the crushed leaves. Before consumption, however, one should be certain that it is not a poisonous double.

Can you buy wild carrots in the supermarket?

No. Wild carrots are rarely grown as garden carrots are usually preferred. The wild carrots therefore have to be cultivated themselves or found in nature.

Category:

Garden plants