Carrots are some of the most popular vegetable plants to grow in backyard gardens. Tasty and nutritious, carrots are jampacked with antioxidants, and they’re easy to grow, even if you’re a beginning gardener. But if you’ve been gardening for a while, you may be looking to experiment beyond the traditional orange carrot we all know and love.
Today, thanks to selective breeding and the genetic diversity in different carrot varieties, there are lots of colorful carrots to try. From rich purple roots to vivid red or creamy white carrots, check out these rainbow carrot varieties. You may just find a creatively colored carrot that you’ll love more than orange ones!
Jump to:
- 21 colorful carrot varieties to grow in your garden
- 1. ‘Amarillo’
- 2. ‘Black Nebula’
- 3. ‘Cosmic Purple’
- 4. ‘Dara Flowering’
- 5. ‘Gniff’
- 6. ‘Jaune Obtuse du Doubs’
- 7. ‘Kyoto Red’
- 8. ‘Kuttiger’
- 9. ‘Yellowstone’
- 10. ‘Purple Haze’
- 11. ‘White Satin’
- 12. ‘Glow Stix Sunrise’
- 13. ‘Rainbow’
- 14. ‘Purple Elite’
- 15. ‘Redsun’
- 16. ‘Deep Purple’
- 17. ‘Lunar White’
- 18. ‘Purple Dragon’
- 19. ‘Pusa Asista Black’
- 20. ‘Pusa Rudhira Red’
- 21. ‘Uzbek Golden’
- Top classic carrot picks
- Frequently asked questions
- Summary
21 colorful carrot varieties to grow in your garden
If you’re bored with growing classic orange carrots, there are plenty of other carrot varieties to keep. While orange carrots are rich in beta-carotene, rainbow carrots often have different antioxidants in them, and their bright tones look oh-so-pretty on the dinner plate. What’s more, if you’ve ever wanted to grow carrots for market selling, rainbow carrots are often the most popular varieties at farmer’s markets.
For plenty of colorful carrot inspiration, we’ve compiled some of our favorite uniquely hued roots below!
1. ‘Amarillo’
| Seed name: | Amarillo |
| Color: | Yellow |
| Days to harvest: | 75 days |
| Other features: | Ideal for summer and fall gardens; strong tops can resist weeds |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds |
Sweet and crunchy ‘Amarillo’ carrots are the stars of summer and fall gardens and have a good deal of heat tolerance. Growing about 8” long, ‘Amarillo’ is known for its vivid yellow skin, and it’s often used for juicing. This carrot type also produces strong, leafy stems that can resist competition from weeds better than many other carrot types.
Like other carrot varieties, ‘Amarillo’ should be planted in rich and loose soil. Requiring full sun and consistent moisture, these carrots should be ready for picking in about 75 days.
2. ‘Black Nebula’
| Seed name: | Black Nebula |
| Color: | Dark purple, almost black |
| Days to harvest: | 75 days |
| Other features: | Rich in antioxidants; heat tolerant; used to make homemade natural dyes |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; Amazon |
Originally developed from carrot seeds traditionally grown in India, ‘Black Nebula’ is one of the darkest carrots around with skin that is such a dark purple that it looks black. All of that color means these carrots are rich in antioxidants, including anthocyanin, and these carrots even retain their rich coloring when they’re cooked! ‘Black Nebula’ is sometimes used to create natural dyes, and it is popular for juicing too – you can even add a squeeze of lemon to this carrot’s juice to turn it pink!
With a sweet and complex flavor, ‘Black Nebula’ is tasty, cooked, or raw. A heat-tolerant plant, ‘Black Nebula’ can be grown in summer gardens. And, if you happen to forget about your carrots, this plant also produces lovely, foamy flowers that look adorable in cut flower arrangements.
3. ‘Cosmic Purple’
| Seed name: | Cosmic Purple |
| Color: | Purple with white to yellow centers |
| Days to harvest: | 70 days |
| Other features: | Farmer’s market favorite; fast maturing |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; Amazon |
‘Cosmic Purple’ looks a lot like ‘Purple Dragon’ and some of the other two-toned carrot varieties on this list, but they are different plants. If you’re bored of growing the same old orange carrots, ‘Cosmic Purple’ carrot seeds can be just the solution you’re looking for.
‘Cosmic Purple’ carrots feature bright purple skin and a yellow to the orange interior. Maturing in about 70 days, they are some of the faster-growing carrots on this list. They also are known for their sweet and spicy flavor and are often a big hit at farmer’s markets.
4. ‘Dara Flowering’
| Seed name: | Dara Flowering |
| Color: | Flowers range from white to pink to purple |
| Days to harvest: | 100 days |
| Other features: | Perfect filler flower for homemade arrangements |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; Amazon |
‘Dara Flowering’ carrots aren’t for eating, but they do make stunning cut flowers. Closely related to Queen Anne’s lace, these plants feature similarly shaped, broad flat blooms that are perfect filler flowers for homemade bouquets and other arrangements.
Delicate and foamy flowers first appear in a feminine white that later deepens into a pale pink and then a dark purple. For more intriguing flower arrangements, try harvesting these plants at different stages of their development for lots of colors. Plants grow to about 4’ in height and bloom throughout the growing season.
5. ‘Gniff’
| Seed name: | Gniff |
| Color: | Purple with white centers |
| Days to harvest: | 100+ days |
| Other features: | Two-toned carrots; recommended for pickling |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds |
Not all carrot varieties come with history, but ‘Gniff’ does. Originally from the Tessin region of Switzerland, this rare carrot type was once grown by small rural farmers and then sold at outdoor farmer’s markets. The name ‘Gniff’ translates to “purple” in the dialect of the area.
As a landrace carrot, ‘Gniff’ comes in a range of colors, but it’s mostly known for its bright, amethyst-hued skin. The interior of this carrot can range in color from purple to yellow or white. A sweet and slow-growing cultivar, ‘Gniff’ was traditionally used in pickling recipes.
6. ‘Jaune Obtuse du Doubs’
| Seed name: | Jaune Obtuse du Doubs |
| Color: | Yellow |
| Days to harvest: | 75 days |
| Other features: | Excellent in fall gardens; good for storing |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; Seed Savers Exchange |
Named after the Doubs River of France, this carrot was first developed in the 1940s and has been highly prized for its lemon-yellow color ever since. A slow-growing carrot, ‘Jaune Obtuse’ has a uniformly yellow appearance and a robustly formed root.
Best suited for fall gardens, this carrot type stores well too!
7. ‘Kyoto Red’
| Seed name: | Kyoto Red |
| Color: | Red |
| Days to harvest: | 90 days |
| Other features: | Sweet, fruity flavor; cold hardy; color intensifies when grown in winter |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; Amazon |
Don’t be surprised if you don’t want to grow any other carrot types after tasting the ‘Kyoto Red.’ Originally from Kyoto, Japan, this colorful carrot type has bright red skin and is technically classified as a Kintoki sweet red carrot. But as beautiful as the ‘Kyoto Red’ is, it’s not just about looks when it comes to this carrot type.
‘Kyoto Red’ has a very unique, sweet, and fruity flavor that has hints of melon. Perfect for grilling, roasting, juicing, and even desserts, ‘Kyoto Red’ are traditionally eaten on Japanese New Year, and they’re sometimes carved into a plum blossom shape. Ideal for summer, fall, and even early winter gardens, ‘Kyoto Red’ does not grow well in spring.
8. ‘Kuttiger’
| Seed name: | Kuttiger |
| Color: | White |
| Days to harvest: | 70 days |
| Other features: | Easy to grow; good for storing |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds |
There aren’t a lot of white carrot varieties on the market, but if you want to grow this carrot type, ‘Kuttiger’ is a fine pick. These low-maintenance carrot seeds are easy to grow and produce an abundant harvest of carrots with a pleasant and delicate flavor. Visually, ‘Kuttiger’ carrots are quite unique – in addition to their white color, they also have white shoulders that narrow into a finely tapering tip.
As the legend goes, ‘Kuttiger’ carrots were originally grown in Afghanistan. However, they were later exported to Switzerland, where they were grown in small quantities by rural farmers. That growing tradition has helped keep these heirloom carrots around for your enjoyment!
Additionally, if you’re looking for a carrot variety for storing, ‘Kuttiger’ is one of the best carrots to keep in root cellars.
9. ‘Yellowstone’
| Seed name: | Yellowstone |
| Color: | Yellow |
| Days to harvest: | 73 days |
| Other features: | Strong tops can out-compete weeds |
| Where to buy: | Johnny’s Seeds; Amazon |
One of the most popular yellow carrot varieties, ‘Yellowstone’, has a deeper yellow hue than most other yellow carrots. While it can be grown on its own, this carrot looks particularly pretty when planted with other vibrant carrot types, like ‘Purple Dragon’ and ‘Lunar White.’
‘Yellowstone’ carrots have sturdy and vigorously growing tops, which can make them better able to outcompete any weeds that crop up in your beds. An open-pollinated seed type, ‘Yellowstone’ carrots have slightly blunted tips and grow to about 6 to 8” long.
10. ‘Purple Haze’
| Seed name: | Purple Haze |
| Color: | Purple with orange centers |
| Days to harvest: | 70 days |
| Other features: | Top choice for farmer’s markets; two-toned carrots; good for storing |
| Where to buy: | Fedco; Amazon |
‘Purple Haze’ looks a lot like ‘Purple Dragon’; however, when the two were grown side by side, ‘Purple Haze’ left its competitor in the dust! ‘Purple Haze’ is known for its fine texture that can rival even the best orange carrots, and it has none of ‘Purple Dragon’s’ harsh flavor.
Looking a bit like Halloween, ‘Purple Haze’ has a dark purple exterior and a highly contrasting orange core. A top pick for selling at farmer’s markets, ‘Purple Haze’s’ flavor improves with cooking and is mouthwatering in roasted dishes. Roots grow to about 7” in length and store well too.
11. ‘White Satin’
| Seed name: | White Satin |
| Color: | White |
| Days to harvest: | 70 days |
| Other features: | Uniform root size; fine cooking carrot |
| Where to buy: | Fedco; Johnny’s Seeds |
White carrots are often not known for their flavor, but ‘White Satin’ cultivars may just change your mind on that! These gorgeous roots have creamy white flesh and a nice, mellow taste with just the right amount of sweetness. They are also not prone to any “hairiness,” which can occur in many other white carrot types.
Delicious raw or cooked, ‘White Satin’s’ uniform root size makes them easier to work with when chopping and prepping veggies for recipes. Roots grow up to 8” long and have a medium size core. These carrots often develop green shoulders as they mature too.
12. ‘Glow Stix Sunrise’
| Seed name: | Glow Stix Sunrise |
| Color: | Purple, orange, and yellow |
| Days to harvest: | 70 days |
| Other features: | Uniform root size; fast maturing |
| Where to buy: | Johnny’s Seeds |
If you want lots of color in your carrot patch but you’re having a hard time picking just the right carrot to grow, ‘Glow Stix Sunrise’ is the way to go. This reliable carrot seed mix will produce tons of tasty carrots in a range of colors, including yellow, orange, and purple!
These fast-maturing seeds are perfect for early harvesting and can be planted throughout spring and summer. These seeds are also known to produce carrots of uniform size, making them ideal for farmer’s markets too. Be ready to pick your rainbow of carrots about 70 days after planting.
13. ‘Rainbow’
| Seed name: | Rainbow |
| Color: | Orange and yellow |
| Days to harvest: | 67 days |
| Other features: | Uniform root size; fast maturing; sweet and flavorful |
| Where to buy: | Johnny’s Seeds |
Created by blending ‘Nantes’ and ‘Imperator’ carrot types together, ‘Rainbow’ is another choice carrot mix that creates different colored roots. Because they are all a single carrot cultivar, root size is quite uniform. These carrots generally grow to about 7 to 9” in length and come in pale yellows and oranges.
While flavor can vary slightly depending on the root color, ‘Rainbow’ carrots are all sweet and flavorful with just the right amount of crunch. This hybrid carrot type matures a bit quicker than many other carrots and should be ready to dig about 67 days after planting.
14. ‘Purple Elite’
| Seed name: | Purple Elite |
| Color: | Purple with yellow centers |
| Days to harvest: | 75 days |
| Other features: | Bolt resistant; two-toned carrots |
| Where to buy: | Johnny’s Seeds; Hoss Tools |
With a name like “Elite,” the bar is set pretty high for this carrot, and ‘Purple Elite’ carrots don’t disappoint. These wildly colorful carrots feature deep purple skin. But when you slice into the carrots, you’ll be doubly wowed by the carrot’s bright yellow core and golden striations!
Beyond their vibrant two-toned roots, ‘Purple Elite’ carrots have other striking features. Notably, they are more resistant to spring bolting than many other carrot types, and they produce large, finely tapering roots that measure about 7 to 9” long. Just keep in mind that these carrots take a bit longer to reach full maturity.
15. ‘Redsun’
| Seed name: | Redsun |
| Color: | Red |
| Days to harvest: | 70 days |
| Other features: | Fast grower |
| Where to buy: | Johnny’s Seeds; Fedco |
Many red carrot varieties can have a lackluster flavor; however, ‘Redsun’ has been carefully bred for its sweet and mild taste with a little bit of a zing. These red carrots are colorful right into their crimson cores and grow from about 7 to 9” long.
‘Redsun’ is best suited for fall gardening, as too much heat can impact flavor. Additionally, be sure to keep these carrots well-watered, as dry spells can also change the taste somewhat. Plants are also prone to bolting if sown in spring gardens.
16. ‘Deep Purple’
| Seed name: | Deep Purple |
| Color: | Purple |
| Days to harvest: | 73 days |
| Other features: | Strong leaves are good at out-competing weeds; good for juicing |
| Where to buy: | Johnny’s Seeds; Amazon |
Similar to ‘Purple Haze,’ ‘Deep Purple’ also has a rich purple color that remains uniform throughout the carrot, even to its core. That deep color means this carrot is rich in antioxidants, which makes sense because this carrot is favored in juicing.
With a complex, earthy flavor, ‘Deep Purple’ also grows strong leafy shoots that are well-suited for outcompeting vigorous weeds. Once fully mature, roots grow to about 7 to 8” in length and can be harvested roughly 73 days after sowing.
17. ‘Lunar White’
| Seed name: | Lunar White |
| Color: | White |
| Days to harvest: | 75 days |
| Other features: | Rare color |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; Amazon |
Pure white carrots used to be common in the Middle Ages, but the color has become quite rare today. That’s why ‘Lunar White’ is such a fun carrot type to grow. Don’t be surprised if garden visitors mistake this carrot variety’s creamy white flesh for a parsnip!
A reliable producer, ‘Lunar White’ is usually ready to harvest in about 75 days and grows best when temperatures are in the 50 to 75°F range. ‘Lunar White’ has a sweet and mellow flavor and a very small core.
18. ‘Purple Dragon’
| Seed name: | Purple Dragon |
| Color: | Purple with orange centers |
| Days to harvest: | 70 days |
| Other features: | Rich in antioxidants, two-toned carrots |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds; Amazon |
It can sometimes be tricky to get young children to eat their veggies. But if you grow bright carrots, like ‘Purple Dragon,’ young eaters often can’t get enough! These bright carrots have an out-of-this-world appearance with smooth purple skin and a highly contrasting orange core.
Growing about 7 to 8” long, ‘Purple Dragon’ doesn’t get as big as some other carrots varieties, so you can usually fit them into shallower garden beds. Excellent for displaying on charcuterie boards or as a colorful garnish on fresh garden salads, ‘Purple Dragon’ is also very rich in antioxidants. When you bite into these veggies, expect a spicy and sweet flavor and a delightful crunch too!
19. ‘Pusa Asista Black’
| Seed name: | Pusa Asista Black |
| Color: | Dark purple, almost black |
| Days to harvest: | 100 days |
| Other features: | Ideal for summer growing; very flavorful; rich in antioxidants |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds |
First grown in India, ‘Pusa Asista’ is very rich in antioxidants, including anthocyanin. That helps explain this carrot’s unique color: it’s so darkly pigmented it looks almost black! When sliced, the interior of this carrot is a deep, rich purple which bleeds color just like fresh beets do.
Well adapted to growing in heat, ‘Pusa Asista’ grows best when planted during the summer – from June to September. That said, its flavor is best when harvested in autumn after nights have started to get a bit chilly. The taste is sweeter and more flavorful than most orange carrot varieties, while the root’s color intensifies as the plant matures.
20. ‘Pusa Rudhira Red’
| Seed name: | Pusa Rudhira Red |
| Color: | Red |
| Days to harvest: | 80 days |
| Other features: | Great for fall gardens; high in antioxidants |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds |
One of the most popular carrot varieties in India, ‘Pusa Rudhira’ is known for its deep red flesh. Ideal for cooking into jams and chutneys, this carrot variety is particularly high in antioxidants, including lycopene. Tasty and nutritious, there’s so much to love about this carrot type!
‘Pusa Rudhira’ is also quite a cold hardy and is a top pick for fall gardens. However, make sure you get these seeds planted early, as they take about 80 days to mature. If you don’t want to cook with these carrots, they are also wonderful in juicing recipes!
21. ‘Uzbek Golden’
| Seed name: | Uzbek Golden |
| Color: | Yellow |
| Days to harvest: | 75 days |
| Other features: | Well-adapted to cool or hot weather; can tolerate a range of soils |
| Where to buy: | Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds |
A truly unique carrot variety with a bit of history, ‘Uzbek Golden’ is a popular carrot type in Uzbekistan and throughout central Asia. Also called “Mshak,” this carrot is often used in many traditional recipes, like pilaf.
With bright golden flesh and a fine texture, ‘Uzbek Golden’ carrots are mostly known for their unique shape, which is shorter and chubbier than many other carrots. These crispy and juicy carrots have plenty of natural sugar and can even grow in cool or hot temperatures. They’re also just easy to grow plants in general and can tolerate a range of growing conditions and different soil types.
Top classic carrot picks
While uniquely colored carrots can be exciting to grow and are usually some of the most popular carrots at farmer’s markets, there’s nothing like a classic orange carrot. If you’re on the hunt for a tasty and traditional carrot type, check out these matchless carrot varieties.
These funky little carrots are short and round and very flavorful too! Perfect for roasting or snacking, they have some of the highest vitamin A content of any carrot type, and their pint-sized charm makes them popular at farmer’s markets too.
Many carrots are best suited for fall gardens, but ‘Mokum’ is one of the top picks for spring beds. Fast to mature, this carrot tastes absolutely scrumptious. It is also just right for succession planting.
A very versatile carrot type, ‘Napoli’ are “extra crunchy” and have a delicious sweetness to them. Well suited for spring gardens, ‘Napoli’ can also be overwintered in unheated greenhouses in some areas. They are also one of the best carrots for root cellar storage.
Frequently asked questions
Not necessarily. All carrots are healthy and contain antioxidants; however, different colored carrots contain different types of antioxidants. For example, orange carrots are high in beta-carotene, while purple carrots are loaded with anthocyanin.
Different carrot varieties can have different flavors and sweetness levels, and that holds true for colorful carrots too. Flavor differences are usually quite subtle and are most pronounced when carrots are eaten raw.
While rainbow carrots are less common, the rarest carrot color is white. If you’d like to try growing some white carrots, try out popular picks like ‘Lunar White,’ ‘Kuttiger’ and ‘White Satin.’
Truly black carrots don’t exist, but some carrots have very dark purple skin that can look almost black in certain light. For dark carrot types to grow, try out ‘Pusa Asista Black’ or ‘Black Nebula.’
Summary
As scrumptious and vivid as orange carrots are, many gardeners like to experiment with new seeds and unique cultivars. In the world of carrots, you’ll find a lot of inspiration – from dark, near-black carrots to bright white roots and every color in between! If you love playing with color in your garden and your plate, the carrots we’ve explored today may be just the varieties you’ve been looking for.
We hope you enjoyed this article! If you’ve chosen to grow carrots this year, you may want to check out this helpful guide we put together on how to preserve your harvest with cold storage.
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