Daucus carota L.
Carrot
Wild carrot is a native biennial of the carrot family and the wild ancestor of the cultivated vegetable. In its first year it forms a rosette of feathery leaves; in the second it sends up a branching, bristly stem topped by flat or slightly domed umbels of tiny white flowers, often with a single dark red or purple floret at the centre.
About
Wild carrot is a native biennial of the carrot family and the wild ancestor of the cultivated vegetable. In its first year it forms a rosette of feathery leaves; in the second it sends up a branching, bristly stem topped by flat or slightly domed umbels of tiny white flowers, often with a single dark red or purple floret at the centre. As the seed heads ripen they curl inward into a concave, nest-like cup, giving the plant its old name of bird's nest.
It favours dry, sunny grassland, road verges, cliffs and waste ground, and is especially at home on chalk and near the coast. Flowering through high summer, the open umbels are easy landing platforms for a wide range of insects, including hoverflies, solitary bees, beetles and parasitic wasps that prey on garden pests. Wild carrot is a reliable component of meadow and chalk-grassland seed mixes.
Also known as
Queen Anne's Lace · Wild Carrot · bishop's lace
Synonyms
Daucus carota boissieri · Daucus carota carota · Daucus carota sativa · Daucus ceretanus · Daucus federicii · Daucus glaber · Daucus gonzaloi · Daucus guttatus · Daucus laevis
In our seed mixes
- BFS 10 – Species Rich Wildflower Meadow Seed Mix
- BFS 11 – Coastal Meadow Grassland Seed Mix
- BFS 12 – Green Roof Wildflower Seed Mix
- BFS 13 – Tussocky Grassland Wildflower Meadow Mix
- BFS 14 – Brownfield Site Wildflower Mix (Open Mosaic Habitat on Previously Developed Land) – 80% Flora
- BFS 7 – Calcareous Grassland Wildflower Seed Mix
- BFS 9 – Country Meadow Wildflower Seed Mix
- BFS10(F) – Species Rich 100% Wildflower Meadow Mix
- BFS11(F)- Coastal Meadow 100% Wildflower Meadow Mix
- BFS12(F) – Greenroof 100% Wildflower Seed Mix
- BFS13(F) – Tussocky Grassland 100% Wildflower Meadow Mix
- BFS14(F) – Brownfield Site 100% Wildflower Mix
- BFS7(F)- Calcareous Grassland 100% Wildflower Seed Mix
- BFS9(F)- Country Meadow 100% Wildflower Seed Mix
- UM11 – Patchwork Wildflower Mix
- UM13 – Treasure Trove Wildflower Mix
Beta — under active development. This catalogue is still being built and accuracy-checked. The information here (including plant identifications, British native status, soil and sun/shade preferences) is provided in good faith for general guidance only and may contain errors or omissions. It must not be relied upon on its own — please confirm details with us before making planting, specification, foraging or purchasing decisions, and never eat or medicinally use any plant based on this catalogue alone, as some species are toxic. To the extent permitted by law, Phoenix Amenity Supplies accepts no liability for any loss arising from use of this information.