Dragon
Daucus carota var. sativus
Wikimedia Commons
Well-known for its beautiful magenta-purple skin and broad, Chantenay-type shoulders. Slicing reveals a surprise of orange or yellow interior, sometimes both. Very thin, smooth skin makes Dragon easier to wash and serve unpeeled than other purples. Roots hold well in the field. Tops are strong and vigorous in early growth to compete with weeds. Internal color will vary. Avg. 5-7" long. Originally bred by the late Dr. John Navazio. Kuroda x Chantenay type. Also available with NOP-compliant pelleting.
Harvest
75d
Days to harvest
Sun
Full sun to partial shade
Zones
4–11
USDA hardiness
Height
4-6 feet
Planting Timeline
Showing dates for Dragon in USDA Zone 7
All Zone 7 herb →Zone Map
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Dragon · Zones 4–11
Growing Details
Zone-by-Zone Planting Calendar
| Zone | Indoor Start | Transplant | Direct Sow | Harvest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zone 3 | April – May | June – July | — | July – October |
| Zone 4 | March – April | June – July | — | July – October |
| Zone 5 | March – April | May – June | — | June – October |
| Zone 6 | March – April | May – June | — | June – November |
| Zone 7 | February – March | April – June | — | June – November |
| Zone 8 | February – March | April – May | — | May – December |
| Zone 9 | January – February | March – April | — | April – December |
| Zone 10 | January – January | February – April | — | April – December |
| Zone 11 | January – January | January – March | — | March – December |
Succession Planting
Dragon carrot is a one-and-done harvest per plant, so staggering starts is the only way to stretch the season. In zone 7, start transplants indoors in February or March and move them out between April and June; a new tray every 3 weeks gives you a rolling harvest window rather than everything hitting that 75-day mark simultaneously.
Stop new starts by mid-June in most of Georgia — daytime highs above 85°F push plants toward bolting and make germination unreliable. For a fall run, count back 75 days from your first hard frost (typically mid-November in zone 7) and start that last tray indoors around late August.
Complete Growing Guide
Well-known for its beautiful magenta-purple skin and broad, Chantenay-type shoulders. Slicing reveals a surprise of orange or yellow interior, sometimes both. Very thin, smooth skin makes Dragon easier to wash and serve unpeeled than other purples. Roots hold well in the field. Tops are strong and vigorous in early growth to compete with weeds. Internal color will vary. Avg. 5-7" long. Originally bred by the late Dr. John Navazio. Kuroda x Chantenay type. Also available with NOP-compliant pelleting. According to Johnny's Selected Seeds, Dragon is 75 days to maturity, annual, open pollinated.
Light: Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day), Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours). Soil: Clay, High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt), Sand, Shallow Rocky. Soil pH: Acid (<6.0), Alkaline (>8.0), Neutral (6.0-8.0). Drainage: Good Drainage, Moist, Occasionally Dry. Growth rate: Rapid. Maintenance: High. Propagation: Seed.
Harvesting
Dragon reaches harvest at 75 days from sowing per Johnny's Selected Seeds. Expect 5-7" at peak. As an annual, harvest continues until frost ends the season.
Small, dry, and ribbed with bristly hairs. The compound umbel of fruits folds inward to form a roundish shape that can be blown by the wind and roll across the ground dropping seeds.
Color: Brown/Copper. Type: Achene. Length: < 1 inch. Width: < 1 inch.
Edibility: Leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds are edible. The young fleshy roots can be cooked or eaten raw, the flower clusters can be french-fried to produce a carrot-flavored dish, the aromatic seed is used as a flavoring in stews, etc. The dried roasted roots are ground into a powder and are used for making coffee.
Storage & Preservation
Harvest Dragon fennel at 60 days and store fresh fronds in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator at 35–40°F with moderate humidity; expect 7–10 days of usable freshness before wilting accelerates. For longer preservation, drying works exceptionally well—hang bundles in a warm, dark space with good air circulation, then store seeds and dried foliage in airtight containers away from light. Freezing is viable if you blanch fronds briefly first, though texture suffers slightly. Fennel seeds can be harvested separately once they turn brown and dry, then stored in sealed jars for several months. For culinary use, infuse dried Dragon fennel into oils or vinegars to extend its lifespan and concentrate flavor. The bulb base, if present, keeps longer than foliage—up to two weeks refrigerated—making it worth harvesting separately from the leafy tops.
History & Origin
Dragon is open-pollinated, meaning seed saved from healthy plants will produce true-to-type offspring. Listed in the Johnny's Selected Seeds catalog.
Origin: Europe, Eastern Asia and northern Africa
Advantages
- +Striking magenta-purple exterior with orange interior creates visual appeal
- +Thin, smooth skin requires minimal washing and peeling effort
- +Strong vigorous tops suppress weeds during early growth stage
- +Roots store well in field without quality deterioration
- +Easy to grow variety suitable for beginner gardeners
Considerations
- -Internal color variation may disappoint customers expecting uniform appearance
- -Purple skin can mask quality issues, requiring careful harvest assessment
- -Requires 75 days to maturity, extending season compared to orange types
Companion Plants
Parsley draws in predatory wasps that go after the aphids that like to colonize Dragon's feathery foliage, and it doesn't compete hard for nutrients at 2–3 inch spacing since its roots run at a similar depth. Chives are worth planting for a different reason: their sulfur compounds disrupt carrot fly (Psila rosae) adults scouting for egg-laying sites. NC State Extension notes that mixing plant families breaks up expanses of pest-preferred crops and buys you time to catch problems early — so threading chives every 6 inches through a Dragon bed isn't just good companion theory, it's practical layout.
Marigolds (Tagetes spp.) pull their weight through root exudates that suppress soil nematode populations — that's a documented chemical mechanism, not garden myth — and they bring in generalist predators as a side effect. Basil fills gaps between rows without competing, and rosemary or thyme nearby won't hurt anything; their root systems stay shallow and out of Dragon's way. In our zone 7 Georgia gardens, where pest pressure stacks up fast through the summer, building some of this diversity into the bed from the start pays off more than scrambling to spray later.
Fennel releases allelopathic compounds that stunt a wide range of herb and vegetable roots — Dragon included — so keep it on the other side of the garden entirely. Black walnut is worse: juglone from its root system can linger in soil for years after the tree itself is gone, and most Apiaceae are sensitive to it. If you have a black walnut on the property, that bed is off the table for Dragon regardless of distance.
Plant Together
Basil
Repels aphids and whiteflies, may improve flavor
Parsley
Similar growing requirements and attracts beneficial insects
Chives
Repels aphids and other pests with strong scent
Marigold
Deters nematodes and many garden pests
Nasturtium
Acts as trap crop for aphids and cucumber beetles
Oregano
Repels pests and shares similar Mediterranean growing conditions
Rosemary
Deters cabbage moths, bean beetles, and carrot flies
Thyme
Repels whiteflies, cabbage worms, and improves soil health
Keep Apart
Fennel
Inhibits growth of most garden plants through allelopathy
Black Walnut
Produces juglone which is toxic to many herbs and vegetables
Rue
Allelopathic properties can stunt growth of nearby plants
Nutrition Facts
Per 100g serving. % Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet. Source: USDA FoodData Central (FDC #172232)
Pests & Disease Resistance
Common Pests
Carrot fly, aphids, spider mites
Diseases
Carrot rust fly, leaf blight, root rot in waterlogged soil
Troubleshooting Dragon
What you'll see, why it happens, and what to do about it.
Seedlings collapse at soil level — stems pinched dark and black, roots brown and slimy, happening fast (sometimes overnight)
Likely Causes
- Damping off — typically Pythium or Rhizoctonia fungi thriving in cold, waterlogged soil
- Overwatering or poor drainage in seed-starting mix
What to Do
- 1.Pull affected seedlings immediately and trash them — don't compost
- 2.Let the top inch of soil dry between waterings and improve drainage before sowing more seed
- 3.Next round, sow into fresh, sterile seed-starting mix rather than reusing last season's
Leaves developing tan or brown spots with yellow halos, progressing from older growth upward
Likely Causes
- Leaf blight — often Alternaria dauci or Cercospora carotae, both soil-borne fungi that splash up during rain or overhead watering
- Overcrowded planting at less than 2 inches apart that blocks airflow and holds humidity
What to Do
- 1.Strip and trash spotted leaves — don't leave debris on the soil surface
- 2.Water at the base, not overhead, and water in the morning so foliage dries before nightfall
- 3.NC State Extension recommends interplanting with other plant families to slow disease spread across a bed — mixing in chives or parsley at 6-inch intervals breaks up the monoculture
Roots stunted, forked, or with rusty tunnels bored through the flesh at harvest
Likely Causes
- Carrot rust fly (Psila rosae) — larvae tunnel through roots and are nearly invisible until you pull the crop
- Carrot fly pressure building from a previous season's population in the same bed
What to Do
- 1.Rotate Dragon out of any bed where carrots or parsley-family crops grew the prior year — a two-year gap is the minimum
- 2.Cover beds with floating row cover from transplant through harvest to block egg-laying adults
- 3.Harvest promptly at 75 days; leaving roots in the ground longer increases larval damage
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Dragon carrot take to mature?▼
What makes Dragon carrots different from other purple varieties?▼
Can you grow Dragon carrots in containers?▼
How should I sow Dragon carrot seeds?▼
Is Dragon a good carrot variety for beginners?▼
What flavor does the Dragon carrot have?▼
Growing Guides from Wind River Greens
Where to Buy Seeds
Sources & References
External authority sources used in compiling this guide.
- BreederJohnny's Selected Seeds
- USDAUSDA FoodData Central
See the Methodology page for how this data is sourced, what's AI-assisted, and known limitations.