Daucus carota 'Carnival Blend' (Carrot)

Carnival Blend is a Botanical Interests mix of five carrot varieties selected to grow to maturity at the same time and produce a genuinely colorful harvest: purple with orange interior, red with yellow interior, yellow throughout, and classic orange. Together they create the kind of farmers-market rainbow carrot basket that people photograph and then eat enthusiastically. The roots grow eight to ten inches at full maturity or can be pulled at three to four inches for gourmet baby carrots.

Beyond the visual appeal, the range of colors reflects genuinely different nutritional profiles. The red and purple varieties contain anthocyanins alongside beta-carotene, the yellow varieties are high in xanthophylls, and all of them contain the vitamin A precursors that carrots are known for. Raw, roasted, steamed, or juiced, the blend works as a whole or sorted by color for plated presentations where the variety actually shows.

Carrots are a cool-season crop that does well in Pacific Northwest gardens planted in early spring or late summer for a fall harvest.