Dara Flowering Carrot is a biennial heirloom from the Apiaceae family that defies the typical image of a carrot. Rather than focusing on edible roots, this spectacular variety is prized for its transformation of delicate, lacy flower heads that open pristine white, shift to soft pink, and finally deepen to a rich rose-purple over an extended blooming season. The flowers reach an impressive 4 feet tall and are reminiscent of Queen Anne's Lace, making them exceptional as cut flowers and garden filler. Hardy in zones 4 through 9, Dara matures in 90 to 100 days and thrives in full sun, reaching maturity when temperatures stay between 50 and 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
2
Full Sun
Moderate
4-9
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High
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Dara's real draw is the progression of color across its flower clusters, which shift from white through pink to deep rose-purple as they mature. The plants produce flowers continuously over a long season, offering months of delicate, lacy blooms that tower to 4 feet and work beautifully in fresh arrangements or as wispy garden texture. This heirloom has been valued for generations as a cutting flower and decorative element, appreciated in the same tradition as the classic Queen Anne's Lace.
Dara is grown primarily as a cut flower and garden ornamental rather than for its roots. The tall, delicate flower clusters are prized for fresh flower arrangements and dried bouquets, where their airy texture and color progression add depth and movement to designs. Gardeners also plant Dara as a filler flower directly in beds and borders, allowing it to self-seed and create soft, naturalistic drifts of color through the growing season.
No timeline data available yet for this variety.
Sow Dara seeds directly into the garden in spring after the last frost, or in fall for early spring germination in cool climates. Seeds will sprout in 12 to 18 days under proper conditions.
Harvest Dara flower stems when the blooms are open and at your desired stage of color development, cutting just above where the stem branches. For the fullest color progression and longest vase life, cut flowers in early morning. If you prefer to let flowers age naturally in the garden, allow them to progress through their white to pink to rose-purple transformation over several weeks. For dried arrangements, cut stems at full color and hang upside down in a dry, well-ventilated space.
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“Dara belongs to a lineage of Daucus carota varieties that have been selected and saved by gardeners for their ornamental rather than culinary qualities. Like Queen Anne's Lace before it, which has been treasured for years as a delicate filler in gardens and floral arrangements, Dara represents a deliberate turn away from root production toward the beauty of the plant's flowering stage. This heirloom was preserved and passed down because its remarkable color transformation and extended bloom period offer something few other flowers can match.”