'Rouge Demi-courte de Guérande' (Red Half-Short of Guérande) Carrot

Daucus carota Origin: Guérande, France Improvement status: Cultivar Seeds per packet: ~200 Germination tested 10/2024: 60% Life cycle: Biennial Known in French as "Carotte Rouge Demi-courte de Guérande," this is a famous and beloved heirloom from the medieval town of Guérande in the Loire-Atlantique region of western France. It is a very distinctive carrot. Weighing up to a pound, these thick roots grow well in heavy clay. When grown well, it only reaches about 6" long but might be 5" wide at the shoulder. They can sometimes be as wide as they are long! Yet despite it size it is not fibrous. 'Rouge Demi-courte de Guérande' grows best in rich light loam. It was perfected in Nantes in the 1870s and introduced to American growers in the 1880s. It was a staple in the famous Vilmorin seed catalogue (illustration here is from Vilmorin's 1904 edition). The outer flesh is red-orange, with a paler, almost yellow core. By all accounts, it is tender and delicate with an excellent flavor. Our see