Carrot 'Purple Haze'
2006 AAS Vegetable Award Winner

'Purple Haze' is the only imperator-shaped purple carrot. Purple is a very trendy color and gourmet chefs are always looking for a new vegetable color. 'Purple Haze' has a purple exterior and orange interior. Circles of cut 'Purple Haze' carrots have two distinct colors: a halo of purple with a bright orange center. The best appearance of 'Purple Haze' will be raw in salads or cole slaw. When cooked in water, the purple color will fade. When carrots are cooked quickly, as in a stir-fry, the purple color will remain. Best of all, 'Purple Haze' tastes great. It has a sweet flavor no matter what color.

'Purple Haze' is easy to grow from seed. Sow seed in prepared soil as early as possible. Place seed 1/2 inch deep and cover with soil. The garden soil should be rich, loose, deeply worked with excellent drainage to grow 12-inch long, straight carrots. Expect germination in 14-21 days. Thin seedlings to be 2 inches apart. The purple pigment is influenced by soil temperature and drainage. The strongest purple color will occur when plants are grown at 59-68°F. For gardeners with heavy clay soil, growing 'Purple Haze' carrots in patio containers is a snap. Use the same growing directions as soil, but water more frequently, since the soil in containers has a tendency to dry out more rapidly.

AAS WINNER DATA

Genus species: Daucus carota L.
Common name: Carrot
Fruit size: 12 inches long, 2-inch shoulder; 7 oz.
Color: Purple exterior, orange interior
Plant type: Upright
Width: 16 inches
Garden spacing: 2 inches apart
Unique qualities: Color, sweeter than other purple carrots
Length of time from sowing seed to harvest: 70 days
Closest comparison(s) on market: F1 'Cheyenne,' F1 'Bolero' ('Beta Sweet' seed was not available for use as comparison)