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Daucus carota Dara
Daucus carota 'Dara' Seeds
If you love lacy flowers you will adore this one. Daucus Dara has long stems and feathery foliage topped by large flowers in shades of burgundy and soft pink. They add a delightfully airy touch planted in drifts in borders. Daucus is good for cutting too… add them to mixed bunches of flowers to create a lovely contemporary look.
Strictly speaking Daucus Dara is a Biennial plant but you can treat it like a Hardy Annual so you can choose the flowering time. Sow in January or February indoors for flowers from May onwards, direct sow in April/May for flowers in summer and autumn. Sow in June to September as you would for other Biennial plants for flowers the following year.
You may know Daucus carota as the Wild Carrot, Chocolate Lace or False Queen Anne’s Lace.
***Please note that this plant is not edible***
| Genus | Daucus carota |
| Variety | Dara |
| Plant Type | Hardy Annual (Biennial can be treated as Hardy Annual)
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| Height & Spread | 90-120cm/3-4 feet tall x 30cm/1 foot wide |
| Sow Seeds | Sow indoors January/February/March, grow on and plant out in May. Sow direct when the soil has warmed up in April/May and sow again in summer June-September for early flowers next year. Takes 14 weeks from seed to flower from a spring sowing. |
| Thin/Plant Out | Plant out 30cm/1 foot apart after the last frosts when the soil has warmed up in May. |
| Conditions Required | Prefers moist but well drained soil in full sun. Daucus is a tall sturdy plant. Support to keep the stems straight may be required if your garden is exposed to windy conditions. |
| Flower Production | Keep cutting the blooms and your plants will keep producing flowers all summer long. |
| Picking | Pick when all the tiny flowers have opened and the flower head is quite flat. Sear stem ends in boiling water for 20 seconds and stand flowers in a tall bucket of water for a good drink before arranging. Daucus flowers last about 1 week in a vase. |
| Planting Combinations | Daucus grows well with other tall hardy annual fillers such as Ammi and Dill. The flat flower heads combine well with the spires of Larkspur and Antirrhinum and button flowers of Scabious and Cornflowers. Daucus Dara is lovely in flower arrangements and complements most blooms. |
Thanks very much for your reviews of Daucus Dara!
"Wow! I received my seeds this morning having only ordered them yesterday. They arrived with a lovely handwritten note as well as a free sample of Sweet William seeds. The growing advice includes helpful tips for prolonging the flowering season and cutting for floristry. All are detailed and clearly written by someone who loves what they do. I can't wait for this snow to go away so I can get planting! Thank you Gillian, I will certainly be buying from you again." Kaya
"What a lovely company! My seeds arrived much earlier than expected. In the package were my seeds, a lovely card from the company, full instructions on how to sow, plant, cultivate and use as cut flowers. Added to that there was a free pack of Gypsophila seeds to compliment the Daucus seeds.
Very impressed indeed. If all companies treated their customers with this much respect and consideration.....the world would be a better place. Thank you Country Garden Seeds." Freckles