Carrot
Daucus carota
Also called Carrots
Garden plant · Herbs, veg & fruitStony or freshly manured ground gives you forked carrots. Sow thinly — thinning attracts the fly.
Care at a glance
- Ease
- Hard
- Water
- Every 3 daysWater the ground — water at the base, in the morning, not over the leaves.
- Light
- Full sun
- Feed
- Not needed
- Humidity
- Average
- Hardiness
- Very hardy RHS H7, to -25°C
- Size
- 0.3 m tall · 0.3 m across
- Lifecycle
- Biennial
- Origin
- Persia
Is it safe for pets and people?
PetsSafe for pets
Signs: contains psoralens, which can irritate the skin. The taproot is edible: it is the common garden carrot.
PeopleIrritates skin
Foliage (psoralens). Safe to eat: the root.
HandlingTake care handling it
The tops carry psoralens — sap plus sunlight can irritate skin.
Checked against ASPCA and Clemson HGIC on 2026-07-31.
A guide, not veterinary or medical advice. If a pet or a person has eaten a plant and you are worried, call your vet or doctor now — don’t wait for signs to appear. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
First signs of trouble
- The oldest leaves take a dull rusty-red cast and the top growth flags at midday; by then the first grubs are already scoring rusty tunnels just under the root skin.Carrot fly · pest
- Gaps opening in a row that germinated evenly, with the seedling leaves shorn off at soil level and a silver track beside them.Slugs and snails · pest