# Survival > Foraging & Wild Edibles >  Wild Carrot/ Daucus carota

## rwc1969

Who here harvests and eats this plant's root?

At what stage of development do you harvest the root for food? i.e. basal rosette, stalk, flowering?

Can you tell wild carrot based on the root alone and nothing else?

How can you tell?

I find wild carrot growing intermingled with some other similar plant which I've thought was poison hemlock, but I now know it's not poison hemlock, but something else entirely.

I'm trying to determine how to tell what wild carrot is based on the root alone.

Thanks!

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## your_comforting_company

The hairs on the stalk, the stripes, the sheath at the node, and the dissected leaf shape including veination. There are several details that set it apart from other similar looking plants. 
I am not harvesting them yet, I'm still studying the growth habits.
From what I understand, it takes two years for it to grow the flower stalk. First year will be a small plant, mostly erect. Second year is when you should harvest, but before it starts to flower, in early spring. Once it starts to flower, all the starches stored in the root, move up in a "growth spurt" to the flowers and seeds for reproduction.
You should be able to tell by the early second year growth, AND the root. The way I'm doing it, I found a stand of them in a field this year, and next year I'll go back and watch the cotyledons grow, dig a few to see how the root progresses, and pick just before flowering, if I'm able to distinguish it.
There are quite a few look-similars, like chervil, but the root is definately going to give it away.
Just remember hemlock has no hairs on the stem!

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## esp

Also, wild carrot aka Queen Anne's lace will have a little black dot in the center of the flower head.

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## your_comforting_company

by the time it has the flowers on it, there's not much left of the root for eating...
although it is a definite identification feature if you wish to observe mature plants. Useful for locating where the new plants will be next year  :Wink:

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## rwc1969

Thanks YCC and ESP, I would still like to know if anyone can distinguish this plant based on the *root or basal rosettes alone*, not the stem, flower, etc.

I'm getting the impression it would be extremely difficult to consistently ID it by the root alone as Sam Thayer says Poison hemlock/ Conium maculatum roots are the same color and smell like carrot too( p. 360 Nature's Garden). 

I'm thinking the best bet is on the basal leaves and petioles that attach them to the root as I'm trying to avoid ID'ing plants out of season and only focus on the features that are present at time of harvest, which from what I understand are the leaves, petioles and roots.

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## your_comforting_company

There are several look-similars that have hairy stems, so if it's hairy, you can be sure that it's NOT hemlock. Other than that, I'm still studying and probably can't tell in immature plants.
The OP asks about the root alone, and I don't think that is possible, because it is the collective details that distinguish it. You will need to see the hairy stem, and stripes instead of mottles. Excluding the flower, there are a few things that will set it apart. Not sure if you followed my plant posts, but Chaerophyllum procumbens looks very similar in it's immature stage. In that case the root would be the distinguishing feature. 
As you mentioned, the root of hemlock and carrot are very similar, but it is the other details that will help you discern the difference. Pubesence, stripes, veination...
It's important to remember that it is the collection of those details that will help in ID.

I recommend digging up some of the carrot and "unknown" and comparing the two to themselves and whatever you can find online and write down the distinctions. I would love to see the pictures of the two for my own edification, if you get a chance.

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## rwc1969

If I ever find a good way to determine the difference based on basal rosettes and root alone I will definitely do a write up and hopefully a video too.

The thing that bothers me with wild carrot is the general idea that you need to see the stem and or flower in order to define it. And, that people assume if they find a patch of wild carrot in the summer when it is in flower that when they return in the spring it will all be wild carrot. The stem and or flower is not present at harvest time and I think that's a bad way to go about ID'ing this plant in particular. How can you base an ID on something that is not present at time of harvest?

I will not harvest wild carrot unless I can ID and distinguish it from others  by root and basal rosette alone.

I think it's an abundant important plant that deserves far more attention and clarification.

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## ClayPick

That’s an interesting question you have there. I’ve eaten wild carrot based only on the way it expresses itself above ground and not below. One could isolate wild carrot through cultivation and let the observation with its poisonous lookalikes start there.  I know that wild carrot gets tough because it has a large amount of xylem tissue that isn’t in the carrots we eat today. That might be one thing to get a person going in the right direction. Good luck and stay safe!

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## your_comforting_company

I've spotted some more plants on a back road from work yesterday. Mostly erect with short branches. The leaf and it's veination fit my mental picture of _Daucus carota_. I guess I'll find out soon enough if I'm right. While the root was swelling, it was not enlarged but it did smell a bit like carrot, with a little "green" smell in with it. The plant was relatively small compared to the mature ones I've observed, so that might be the reason for the green smell.
If I am right, then I'd say it is entirely possible to identify wild carrot simply by it's growth habit and a few other features excluding the flower clusters.

even driving by at 10mph it was different from the other "look similars" I've come across. I had to stop and pick one and look closely. Didn't have my camera with me and not sure I should post up pics of "uncertain" plants and put them in the same thread with distinct plants anyway. Don't want to cause confusition! (as if plant ID wasn't confusitizing enough!)

I think your question actually poses a LOT of merit and that's why I am taking my time learning the skill. It's important to observe (them) in all their stages of growth.

on a side note, I picked up a lot of those landscaping flags from the garden supply.. like the ones used in landscaping to mark sprinklers, or by surveyors. Throw a sharpie in there and you've got a "plant marking kit" for just a few bucks. Even if they draw attention, it's not like anyone else is going to stop for 2 seconds to read it, let alone harvest and eat the plant.
This will be my season for marking KNOWN plants, and coming back next year for harvest and samplings. I will also use them to mark plants I intend to observe for a while longer (like the stand of carrots).

What info would you include on the flag?
Latin name
common name (ambiguous)
date first observed
simple notes for when I return in the future to make more observations (first year growth, fruits, etc.)
native and invasive status
a note saying "This plant is under observation. Please do not disturb"

(sorry if this is out of place, just bouncing ideas around.. it's early in the mornig and I'm bored)

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## rwc1969

It's an intersting idea YCC, and I apreciate all the input from you, Claypik and everyone else.

Honestly, I've been I'd ing wild carrot for years, not for the table. And because I'm familiar with it I never paid much attention to all the details, the same as with an apple or orange, I just know that's what it is.

But, when I start trying to ID it for the table after realizing there are many similar plants, that all changes. I'm thinking now that I can tell the difference based on the basal rosette, but will have to wait until I find some and follow them through the season to know for sure. 

I plan on marking some from different patches where known look-similars exist and following them and the impostors through the season.

It's funny how one can feel they know a plant for years and all of a sudden when you start considering it for the table you get the feeling you might not know it as well as you think you do. That's what happened to me with the Wild carrot.

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## your_comforting_company

It was only a few years ago I made the distinction between the wild grapes myself. We used to just call them all scupplins. While there is no danger in confusing them, it's the same principle.. Just when you think you got it all figured out... BLAM, something wakes you up and makes you second guess yourself.

What info are you planning on including with your flags, if any?

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## rwc1969

Well I'll probably mark carrot green and the others I see red. And do so very subtly, because if I were to provide a marker as you described people might see it and switch the tags on me. That's just how people around here are and no place is hidden well enough to avoid it.

The state puts out markers for invasives and damaging insects for study purposes and people destroy them, move them , etc.

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## your_comforting_company

I don't know why folks are like that. The university has been putting some new bug-traps on trees, don't know exactly what for, but folks seem to leave stuff alone around here. Not many folks walk around and certainly wouldn't mess with bright orange flags since the utility companies usually put them out to mark buried lines. Actually you can get in a little trouble if you mess with them, so I'm marking everything with orange... maybe it will deter folks from messing with the plant altogether.

I'm also keeping a notebook to write down where I put flags. If anyone does move them, at least I'll know where to go back and look for the plant.

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## Rick

That state puts those traps up here as well. They stick them about 20 feet in the air to keep fools away from them. I guess they wound up with too many idiots stuck to the traps.

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## backcountrykid

Be careful with queen annes lace it has some deadly look-alikes

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## your_comforting_company

The man I'm working for had some queen anne's lace in a plant pot on his back patio. As soon as I saw it, I said "That looks like a carrot" and my helper agreed. When the man came out, I asked him what he planted in the pot and he couldn't think of the name, so I said "queen anne's lace?" and he said, "yes! That's it"
Maybe it's because I studied it so good for so long, but I recognized it right away and didn't even question whether it was one of the look-alikes. Even though the plant was barely 3" tall, it was unmistakably a carrot.
He wants some of the seeds I collected last year to plant more. 
I felt significant satisfaction in recognizing the plant in it's immature stage.

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## Rick

It's no different that tomatoes or beans. Once you know a plant, you know it. Nice job!

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## mountainmark

Good discussion folks! I love wild carrot. You have to cook it longer to make it tender though, but they have more "carrot" flavor than the domesticated varietys. beyond the root, the flowers and seeds make excellent flavoring agents.

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## Cajunlady87

I have studied wild plants including the wild carrot but I still don't trust my judgement to harvest any.  That goes double for mushrooms.

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## Lady Epicurean

> I have studied wild plants including the wild carrot but I still don't trust my judgement to harvest any.  That goes double for mushrooms.


Like mushrooms, the smell is distinguishable. But if you'd rather not risk it, learn the Wild Carrot's indicative characteristics.
1) purple center flower in umbrel
2) hairy stems
3) distinctive carrot smell, especially from the roots

Happy trails.

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## shepherd

I have what looks like Wild Carrot, and the root smells like carrot. However there is no purple center flower in umbrel.

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## hunter63

DW aways says....."Save a piece, so I  can show the EMT's what you ate......This time"

I have what a lot of people call wild carrot all over my driveway.....haven't done anything with it, would really like someone that KNOWS what it is to tell me.

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## mountainmark

> I have what looks like Wild Carrot, and the root smells like carrot. However there is no purple center flower in umbrel.


Contrary to popular belief, there is not ALWAYS a purple flower in the center of wild carrot. As YCC pointed out, the hairs on the petioles and stem are a more reliable distinguishing characteristic. Poison hemlock has smooth petioles and stem with a white, powdery bloom covering them. These are also hollow, where as carrot is solid.

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## tjwilhelm

If I'm not mistaken, wild carrot/Queen Anne's lace is a biennial -- it has a two-year life cycle.  In year one, it puts most of it's energy into building the root.  In year two it takes energy from the root to build flowers and seeds.  The seeds drop at the end of year two, and the cycle starts again with a new crop of plants.  If you are seeing similar-looking plants around the flowering Queen Anne's Lace it's probably just the smaller, year-one plants. These are the ones to harvest!  The root of the flowered, year-two plant is pretty shriveled and tough...not fun to chew or eat.

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## mountainmark

> If I'm not mistaken, wild carrot/Queen Anne's lace is a biennial -- it has a two-year life cycle.  In year one, it puts most of it's energy into building the root.  In year two it takes energy from the root to build flowers and seeds.  The seeds drop at the end of year two, and the cycle starts again with a new crop of plants.  If you are seeing similar-looking plants around the flowering Queen Anne's Lace it's probably just the smaller, year-one plants. These are the ones to harvest!  The root of the flowered, year-two plant is pretty shriveled and tough...not fun to chew or eat.


Your right TJ about them being biennial. By the time you see the flower, you might just as well harvest the flower and leave the root be. Even the small rosettes of the young ones have the hairs on the petioles so identifying them isn't hard. The flower has all the flavor of the carrot itself, great for soups and pickles and whatnot.

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