Carrot Tree (Monizia edulis)

At a glance

Lifecycle: Perennial (hardy)
Exposure: Full sun
Frost limit: −6.7 °C

Cultivation

Requires a position in full sun in any moderately fertile well-drained soil. Plants are not very hardy in Britain and are unlikely to succeed outdoors in any but the mildest areas of the country. A monocarpic species, living for a number of years without flowering and then dying after flowering.

Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but suggest sowing the seed in a greenhouse as soon as it is ripe if possible, otherwise sow it in early spring. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. Plant them out into their permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Edible uses

Root - raw or cooked.

Habitat

Cliffs.

Native range

Madeira.

Scientific synonyms Daucus edulis