Best Root Vegetables to Grow in North Carolina
North Carolina sits in USDA Hardiness Zone 7. These 43 root vegetable varieties are suited to North Carolina's 210-day growing season with last frost around April 1 and first frost around October 30.
Varieties
43
for North Carolina
USDA Zone
7
210-day season
Beginner
27
easy to grow
Heirloom
26
heritage varieties
North Carolina in USDA Zone 7
North Carolina is primarily in Zone 7. Varieties that thrive in this zone will typically grow well across the state, though local microclimates vary.
When to Plant Root Vegetables in North Carolina
Growing Root Vegetables in North Carolina
Zone 7 gardeners hit the sweet spot for root vegetable cultivation, with a generous 210-day growing season that extends from early April through late October. This extended season allows you to grow both quick-maturing varieties for continuous harvests and longer-season storage types that need time to develop their full flavor and size. The moderate climate means you can start cool-season crops early and extend harvests well into fall, when many root vegetables actually improve in sweetness after light frosts.
The key to success in Zone 7 is selecting varieties that can handle the transition from cool spring weather through hot summers and back to cool fall conditions. Look for heat-tolerant varieties that won't bolt prematurely during summer heat waves, and cold-hardy types that can withstand those occasional late spring or early fall temperature dips. The varieties I've selected here have proven themselves in Zone 7's variable conditions, offering reliable performance whether you're growing for fresh eating or winter storage.
What makes these particular varieties exceptional for Zone 7 is their adaptability to temperature swings and their ability to maintain quality through extended growing periods. From quick-turnover radishes that can be succession planted throughout the season to storage beets and carrots that sweeten up beautifully with fall's cool nights, these selections will keep your root vegetable harvests abundant from spring through winter storage.
Variety Comparison
Variety Details
Ailsa Craig Onion
A distinct strain of the classic sweet and mild Ailsa Craig, this line has been specifically selected to perform in organic management systems. Mild onion with excellent size potential. Jumbo to colossal, round to teardrop-shaped bulbs with light yellow skins. Use fresh or for short-term storage. Adaptation: 38-60° latitude. Also available with NOP-compliant pelleting. USDA Certified Organic.
All Seasons White Daikon
A versatile Japanese daikon radish that can be grown in both spring and fall, producing impressive 14-18 inch long white roots weighing up to 2 pounds each. This reliable variety offers the classic mild, crisp texture that makes daikon so popular in Asian cuisine, while being much easier to grow than many specialty varieties. Perfect for gardeners wanting to explore Asian vegetables or those seeking a substantial, storage-friendly root crop.
Atomic Red Carrot
A stunning hybrid carrot that delivers both visual impact and exceptional flavor with its brilliant red-orange exterior and bright orange interior. These smooth, cylindrical roots grow uniformly and maintain their vibrant color when cooked, making them perfect for both fresh eating and culinary presentations. Gardeners love this variety for its reliable performance and the wow factor it brings to harvest baskets.
Black Spanish Round Radish
An ancient heirloom winter radish prized for its striking black skin and crisp white flesh that delivers a bold, peppery punch perfect for adding excitement to winter meals. This hardy storage radish can be kept for months in proper conditions, making it invaluable for extending the harvest season. With its unique appearance and intense flavor, it's a conversation starter that brings old-world character to modern gardens.
Bolero Carrot
Medium-long 7-8" roots are uniform, thick, slightly tapered, and blunt. Excellent eating quality both fresh and after long-term storage, with juicy texture and sweet, complex flavor. A great choice for fall and winter harvest. Tops are vigorous, fast, and healthy which makes for better field-holding ability and easier mechanical harvesting. Heavy Nantes type. Also available with NOP-compliant pelleting.
Chantenay Red Core Carrot
A robust French heirloom carrot perfect for heavy or shallow soils where longer varieties struggle. These broad-shouldered, conical carrots develop exceptional sweetness and a distinctive deep orange color throughout, making them ideal for fresh eating and storage. Their sturdy 5-6 inch length and excellent keeping quality have made them a favorite since the 1920s.
Cherry Belle Radish
America's most popular radish variety and an All-America Selections winner, Cherry Belle delivers reliable results for gardeners of all skill levels. These perfectly round, cherry-red radishes mature in just 22-30 days, making them ideal for quick satisfaction and succession planting throughout the growing season. Their mild, crisp bite and uniform shape make them a favorite for fresh eating and beautiful garnishes.
Chioggia Beet
The highest-quality Chioggia strain available. Medium-height tops are green with pink-striped stems. Excellent flavor. Also available in organic seed or with NOP-compliant pelleting.
Cosmic Purple Carrot
A stunning hybrid carrot that produces 7-inch roots with deep purple skin and bright orange cores that create beautiful rings when sliced. This All-America Selections winner combines exceptional sweetness with eye-catching color, making it perfect for both fresh eating and adding visual drama to dishes. The unique bicolor appearance and crisp texture make it a favorite among gardeners looking to grow something truly special.
Danvers Half Long Carrot
A classic American heirloom carrot that has been a garden favorite since the 1870s. This reliable variety produces deep orange, broad-shouldered roots that taper to a blunt point, making them perfect for heavy or clay soils where longer carrots struggle. Known for exceptional sweetness and crisp texture that improves with cool weather.
Early Wonder Tall Top Beet
Early Wonder is harvested in bunches with large, vigorous tops attached to the young beets. Tall, bright, glossy green, red-veined tops and slightly flattened red roots. Excellent foliar disease resistance for reliably clean bunches.
Easter Egg Radish
Make beautiful bunches with this mix of red, purple, pink, and white round radishes. Maturing over an extended period of time, they stay crisp and mild even when large. Great fun for children and adults alike.
French Breakfast Radish
A well-maintained strain of this market staple. Longer than Nelson, with more white on the tip. Large healthy tops. After trying many strains we found this to be the best. NOTE: For longer, straighter roots, sow 15-20% more seeds per row 1/2 to 1 cm deeper, and do not irrigate unless absolutely necessary.
German Butterball Potato
An outstanding heirloom potato variety that delivers incredibly rich, buttery flavor in smooth-textured yellow flesh. This late-season variety produces excellent yields of medium-sized tubers with buff-colored skin and stores exceptionally well through winter. German Butterball is considered one of the best-tasting potatoes available to home gardeners.
German Giant Radish
A massive white radish that can grow to impressive sizes while maintaining surprisingly mild flavor and crisp texture. Unlike typical small radishes, German Giant becomes milder and sweeter as it grows larger, making it perfect for cooking applications. This unique variety bridges the gap between European radishes and Asian daikon types.
Golden Beet
Recommended by the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. This vigorous all-season producer holds up well in summer rain and heat all over the country. Densely petaled blooms are up to 6" across. Long-lasting standouts in bouquets. Cut-and-come-again flower, yielding multiple cuts over the season. Colors include deep red, orange, carmine rose, coral, lime, wine, purple, bright pink, white, salmon rose, scarlet, and golden yellow.
Golden Beets
Recommended by the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. This vigorous all-season producer holds up well in summer rain and heat all over the country. Densely petaled blooms are up to 6" across. Long-lasting standouts in bouquets. Cut-and-come-again flower, yielding multiple cuts over the season. Colors include deep red, orange, carmine rose, coral, lime, wine, purple, bright pink, white, salmon rose, scarlet, and golden yellow.
Hakurei Turnip
The smooth, flat-round, white roots mature early (just after radishes) and are best harvested young, up to 2" diameter. Eaten raw, the flavor is sweet and fruity and the texture is juicy and tender. The tops may be eaten raw or lightly cooked. Hakurei stays smooth as it sizes.
Imperator 58 Carrot
The classic grocery store carrot that defined what most people expect from this beloved vegetable. These long, tapered carrots offer exceptional sweetness and crisp texture, making them perfect for both fresh eating and cooking. A reliable performer that produces uniform, beautiful roots even in challenging conditions.
Kennebec Potato
The ultimate all-purpose potato that excels at everything from fluffy baked potatoes to crispy French fries, making it a favorite among home gardeners and commercial growers alike. This reliable variety produces excellent yields of smooth, white-skinned potatoes with outstanding storage qualities. Known for its disease resistance and adaptability, Kennebec is perfect for gardeners seeking a dependable, versatile potato variety.
King Richard Leek
An exceptional early leek variety that produces long, slender white shanks in just 75 days from transplant. Known for its tender texture and mild onion flavor, King Richard is perfect for gardeners wanting quick results without sacrificing quality. This variety excels in both spring and fall plantings.
Kolibri Purple Sweet Potato
A stunning ornamental sweet potato that doubles as an edible variety, featuring deep purple foliage that creates dramatic contrast in gardens. The compact tubers have purple skin and cream flesh with a mildly sweet flavor. This dual-purpose variety is perfect for gardeners who want both beautiful landscaping and a unique harvest.
Long Black Spanish Radish
This impressive heirloom winter radish dates back to the 1600s and offers a completely different experience from common spring radishes. Growing 8-10 inches long with distinctive black skin and pure white interior flesh, these storage radishes develop complex, pungent flavors that mellow beautifully when cooked. Perfect for gardeners seeking unusual varieties that provide fresh eating well into winter months.
Mokum Carrot
Top-rated for flavor among our early varieties. Attractive slender roots are great for early bunches. A bit earlier than Yaya, more slender, the same length (5 1/2-6 1/2") and color, and with similar high sugar and brittle tenderness. Holds sweet taste even in warm weather. Short tops. Widely adapted. Amsterdam type. Also available with NOP-compliant pelleting.
Nelson Carrot
Straight candy-red roots resist pithiness better than other long French types. Compared to French Breakfast, roots are shorter, wider, and show less white on the tips. Responds better to tight spacing. Improved top strength. NOTE: For longer, straighter roots, sow 15-20% more seeds per row 1/2 to 1 cm deeper, and do not irrigate unless absolutely necessary.
Nero Tondo Black Spanish Round Radish
An eye-catching heirloom winter radish from Spain that produces striking black-skinned roots with pure white flesh and a surprisingly mild flavor. This unique variety stores exceptionally well and actually improves in flavor after a few frosts, making it perfect for extending the harvest season into winter. The dramatic color contrast when sliced creates stunning visual appeal in dishes while delivering the crisp, clean taste that makes winter radishes so prized.
Paris Market Carrot
A charming French heirloom perfect for containers and heavy soils where longer carrots struggle. These golf ball-sized roots are incredibly sweet and tender, making them ideal for gourmet cooking and an excellent choice for children's gardens due to their unique round shape.
Pontiac Red Potato
A reliable mid-season potato variety beloved for its attractive red skin and pure white flesh that holds its shape beautifully when cooked. Pontiac produces excellent yields of medium to large tubers and shows good resistance to common potato diseases. This versatile variety is perfect for boiling, baking, and making colorful potato salads.
Purple Carrot Cosmic Purple
A stunning heirloom carrot that brings vibrant color to your garden and plate with its deep purple exterior and bright orange core. This eye-catching variety delivers excellent sweet flavor while providing powerful antioxidants from its rich purple pigmentation. Perfect for gardeners who want to grow something truly unique that will amaze friends and family.
Purple Daikon Radish
A stunning Asian variety that combines the mild, sweet flavor of traditional daikon with eye-catching purple and white coloring. These large radishes are perfect for both raw applications and cooking, offering gardeners something truly unique for their fall harvest.
Purple Plum Radish
An eye-catching round radish with stunning deep purple skin and crisp white flesh that adds vibrant color to any garden or plate. This fast-growing variety maintains its mild, sweet flavor even as it reaches full size, making it perfect for gardeners who want beauty and taste. The golf ball-sized roots are as decorative as they are delicious.
Purple Top White Globe Turnip
A dependable heirloom turnip that has been a garden staple for over 150 years, valued for its dual-purpose harvest of tender roots and nutritious greens. The attractive white globes with purple shoulders offer mild, sweet flavor when harvested young, becoming more robust as they mature. This cold-hardy variety excels in fall gardens and provides fresh vegetables well into winter.
Red Ace Beet
A reliable and adaptable standard red beet. Medium-tall, red-veined greens for bunching. Less uniform and not as attractive as our other red hybrids. Also available with NOP-compliant pelleting.
Red Norland Potato
The gold standard for early-season red potatoes, beloved by home gardeners for its reliability and excellent flavor. These smooth-skinned beauties are ready to harvest as delicious new potatoes in just 60 days, or left to mature for storage. Their waxy texture and thin, edible skins make them perfect for boiling, steaming, and potato salads.
Scarlet Nantes Carrot
A classic French heirloom carrot prized for its sweet flavor and crisp texture. These cylindrical orange roots grow 6-7 inches long with smooth skin and virtually no core, making them perfect for fresh eating and cooking. Their exceptional sweetness and tender flesh have made them the gold standard for home garden carrots worldwide.
Scarlet Queen Turnip
A Chinese specialty also known as Kailaan. The young plants produce quantities of long, pencil-thin, red-purple, budded flower stems. Pleasing, mild mustard taste for use raw in salads or lightly cooked in stir-fries or soups. For multiple harvesting of tender stems and leaves. Can be spring sown, but yields best when sown June through October for harvest from mid summer through winter (in mild areas). Hand harvest 8-10" long shoots by snapping them. Shoots that do not easily snap are overmature.
Storage #4 Rutabaga
The ultimate winter keeper rutabaga that actually improves in flavor during months of cold storage, developing incredible sweetness and creamy texture. This reliable variety produces large, uniform roots with classic purple shoulders and yellow flesh that becomes butter-smooth when cooked. A staple crop that can feed families through winter while providing exceptional nutrition and comfort-food satisfaction.
Tendersweet Orange Carrot
This Burpee-developed variety has earned its place as one of the most dependable and flavorful carrots for home gardens, winning recognition for both its exceptional sweetness and reliable growing characteristics. The 7-8 inch roots develop beautiful orange color throughout and maintain their tender texture even when fully mature. Garden families especially appreciate this variety's consistent performance and kid-friendly sweet flavor that makes fresh vegetables irresistible.
Thumbelina Carrot
An adorable golf ball-sized carrot that's perfect for container gardens and shallow soils where longer varieties struggle. Despite their tiny size, these round carrots pack full-sized flavor and sweetness. Winner of the All-America Selections award for its exceptional performance and unique appeal to gardeners with space constraints.
Tokyo Cross Turnip
An award-winning Japanese hybrid turnip that revolutionized home turnip growing with its incredible speed and sweet, mild flavor. This All-America Selections winner produces perfectly white, smooth roots in just over a month, with crisp texture that never gets woody or strong-tasting. The compact size and quick maturity make it perfect for succession planting and small gardens.
Touchon Carrot
A beloved French heirloom carrot renowned for its exceptional sweetness and crisp texture, often considered one of the best-tasting carrots available to home gardeners. This variety produces perfectly straight, smooth roots with little to no core, making every bite tender and flavorful. Touchon's reliable performance and gourmet quality have made it a favorite among gardeners who prioritize flavor over size.
Watermelon Radish
Large 2" blossoms in bright, clear colors of red, purple, mauve, pink, blue, and white. Blooms over a long period with exceptional fragrance. Can be spelled either as sweet pea or sweetpea. Attracts hummingbirds.
Yukon Gold Potato
Developed in Canada, Yukon Gold has become the gold standard for home gardeners seeking a versatile, all-purpose potato with exceptional flavor. The smooth, golden skin and creamy yellow flesh make these potatoes as beautiful as they are delicious, while their waxy-starchy texture works perfectly for everything from mashing to roasting. This reliable variety produces good yields and stores well, making it a cornerstone of the home garden.
Zone 7 Growing Tips for North Carolina
In Zone 7, start your first plantings of cool-season root vegetables 2-3 weeks before your average last frost date, which puts you in mid-March for early varieties like radishes and turnips. The soil is usually workable by then, and these hardy crops can handle light frosts. For main-season carrots and beets, plant right around your April 1st average last frost date when soil temperatures consistently reach 45-50°F. The beauty of Zone 7 is that you can succession plant quick crops like radishes every 2 weeks through September, and start your storage crops for winter harvest in mid to late July.
Summer heat management becomes crucial during July and August when temperatures soar. Provide afternoon shade for continuing harvests, mulch heavily to keep soil cool and retain moisture, and focus on heat-tolerant varieties like Bolero carrots and Red Ace beets during this period. This is also when you'll start your fall and storage crops – plant carrots for winter harvest in late July, and get your storage beets and turnips in the ground by early August to give them time to size up before the first frost.
Take advantage of Zone 7's late first frost by extending your season with row covers and cold frames. Many root vegetables like carrots, beets, and turnips actually improve in flavor after light frosts, becoming noticeably sweeter. You can often harvest fresh carrots and beets right through December with minimal protection, and properly stored crops will keep you in homegrown root vegetables well into spring.