Carrot Tree
Monizia edulis

Family: Apiaceae or Umbelliferae

What it is like

Monizia edulis is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.2 m (4ft). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 9. It is in flower in May. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It prefers moist soil.

Height (m): 1.2

Where it is found

Cliffs.

Madeira.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 2

Root - raw or cooked. The root tastes like earth nuts when it is raw but is insipid when cooked.

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Medicine

Rating: 0

Other

Rating:

How it is grown

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.

Propagating it: 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.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 8-11

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Moist

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Melanoselinum edulis. Thapsia edulis. T. moniza.