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SEASONAL IDENTIFICATION
WILD CARROT (Daucus carota)
SPRING
&
FALL
SUMMER
LATE
SUMMER
-
FALL
LATE
SPRING
-
SUMMER
SUMMER
FALL
-
WINTER
Wild carrot can be found as a seedling or rosette in spring or
fall. Leaves look like garden grown carrots, and the white tap
root smells like edible garden carrots when cut or crushed.
Wild carrot is abundant in actively mowed areas in Ohio.
It can be found all year round but is easiest to see in the
growing season when flowering.
The seed head closes upwards to resemble a bird's nest.
The seeds are round and covered in white barbs to help
the seed spread by attaching to animals, clothes, or
equipment.
The stem is solid with vertical ribs and covered in white
hairs. As the plant matures, the leaf elongates and becomes
more deeply divided.
Flat-topped white flower heads continuously produced over
the growing season allow wild carrot to hold seeds and
flowers at the same time, making their reproductive season
longer than most Ohio plants.
Wild carrot persists into winter with seed heads and a
multi-stem form. It is common to see dead wild carrot
stand up through winter into the following spring. If you
see standing dead wild carrot, check for seedlings below.
