Wild Carrot

Wild carrot, botanically known as Daucus Carota, is called by many names like Queen Anne’s lace, bird’s nest, and bishop’s lace. It is a flowering plant that belongs to the Apiaceae family.

This biennial herbaceous can attain a good height of 1 to 2 feet. The wild carrot plant is marked by the presence of the stiff, hairy stem that has a rough texture. Its subtly triangular-shaped leaves are tripinnate whereas their whites to pink flowers are clustered to form exotic flat umbels. The stalks, flowers, leaves, and roots of wild carrot plants are edible. The aerial part of the plant looks extremely delicate and elegant whereas its root is fiercely strong. In the kitchen, the whole flower clusters can be deep-fried while its heavenly leaves are used to offer carrot-like flavor to the soups and stocks.

Pharmacologically, it works as an efficient abortifacient and contraceptive. It is a women-friendly plant. It is used by women to reduce menstrual cramps and uterus associated disorders. Wild carrots also work wonders in managing the urinary tract diseases such as urine retention, kidney stones, protein loss in the urine, and an excessive amount of uric acid in urine. Wild carrot’s seed oil is helpful for various digestive tract disorders like indigestion, dyspepsia, dysentery, diarrhea, and flatulence.

The wild carrot is acclaimed as the ancestors of the carrots that are available now. But they are still available to allow scientists to discover its enigmatic healing properties.

If you'd like to learn more about Wild Carrot, please visit Robin Rose Bennet's page for an in depth exploration & summary. Wild Carrot Exploration – Summary, August 2011

The seeds of wild carrots look for cold winters so they are sown in autumn for better germination. It can be grown both indoors and outdoors. The seeds are sown superficially and covered thinly with the soil to allow light and air to reach.

Wild carrot has been witnessed to shake hands well with well-drained, infertile, lime-rich soil. But if wild carrots are given fertile soil, then they can grow quite tall with an attractive display. Adding some meadow mixture can be a plus point for its healthy establishment and the plant is liable to flower all through the summers.

The wild carrot seeds take 14 to 21 days to sprout. The seeds then hold the hands with their new roots and shoots to start with the growing process. Soon, those subtly triangular-shaped leaves arrive to display the initial beauty of the plant.’

With summer at the doorstep, the wild carrot plant starts forming the flat umbels .i.e. flowers that are the epitome of elegancy. The flower undergoes pollination to give birth to light weighted seeds that are dispersed via wind and animals to begin a new plant, away from the parent plant.

The roots and shoots of the wild carrot plant are harvested in spring or autumn. The seeds are collected in fall whereas the flowers and leaves are picked in July, when the plant is in full bloom.

The roots are harvested by pulling up the plant and cutting the roots with sharp knives. The flowers and leaves are harvested by cutting them with sharp gardening shears.

Harvested wild carrot roots and shoots can be air-dried or sun-dried until the plant material feels harsh to touch. The dried material is crushed and stored in an airtight glass jar.

Wild carrots enjoy prestige for being the progenitor of the commonly cultivated carrots. Due to their multiplicity of action, they are incorporated in various medicinal preparations.

• Tincture - Infuse freshly chopped wild carrot flowers/leaves or seeds in grain alcohol for 4 to 6 weeks. Strain the liquid and place it in a dark and dry place.
• Tea - Wild carrot flowers are steeped in hot boiling water to form wild carrot tea.
• Decoction - Wild carrot roots are chopped and simmered in water for 4 to 5 hours to form wild carrot decoction.
• Salve - Wild carrot infused oil is merged with beeswax and essential oils to form wild carrot salve.
• Syrup - Wild carrot flowers or chopped roots can be rolled to boil in a sugar solution to form wild carrot syrup.
• Infused oil - Dried root chips are steeped in virgin olive oil for 4 weeks to form wild carrot-infused oil.