Caraway Plant Care
Carum carvi L.
Updated · Sources · How we source care data
Caraway, also known as meridian fennel, is a biennial plant in the family Apiaceae, native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa.
Every 4–7 days
Full sun to partial shade
60–75°F
40–60%
At a glance
How do you care for Caraway?
Water Caraway every 4–7 days, letting the top layer of soil dry out between waterings, and give it full sun to partial shade. It prefers temperatures of 60–75°F (16–24°C) and 40–60% humidity. Fertilize it every 3 months during the growing season. It is reported as toxic to pets, so keep it out of reach of pets.
Where Is the Caraway Native To?
- Albania
- Algeria
- Armenia
- Austria
- Azerbaijan
- Bahrain
- Belarus
- Belgium
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Bulgaria
- Croatia
- Cyprus
- Czechia
- Denmark
- Egypt
- Estonia
- Finland
- France
- Georgia
- Germany
- Greece
- Hungary
- Iceland
- Iran
- Iraq
- Ireland
- Israel
- Italy
- Jordan
- Kuwait
- Latvia
- Lebanon
- Libya
- Lithuania
- Luxembourg
- Malta
- Moldova
- Montenegro
- Morocco
- North Macedonia
- Norway
- Oman
- Palestine
- Poland
- Portugal
- Qatar
- Romania
- Russia
- Saudi Arabia
- Serbia
- Slovakia
- Slovenia
- Spain
- Sweden
- Switzerland
- Syria
- The Netherlands
- Tunisia
- Türkiye
- UAE
- Ukraine
- United Kingdom
- Yemen
What Is the Caraway?
Caraway (Carum carvi) belongs to the Apiaceae family within the Carum genus. Caraway is native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Caraway is also known as Merium.
Caraway displays an upright, herbaceous growth habit, reaching up to 2 ft tall with a spread of approximately 1.5 ft. Caraway produces small clusters of white or pink umbels.
Leaf size: approximately 4 inches.
How Often Should You Water a Caraway?
Carum carvi requires watering every 4–7 days. Allow the top layer of soil to dry between waterings to prevent root rot. Reduce watering frequency during winter when growth slows.
Watering Frequency
Every 4–7 days
Let soil partially dry between waterings
What Light Does the Caraway Need?
Caraway thrives in full sun to partial shade.
Light Requirement
Full sun to partial shade
What Temperature and Humidity Does the Caraway Prefer?
Carum carvi grows best at temperatures of 60–75°F. Caraway prefers humidity levels of 40–60%.
Temperature
60–75°F
Humidity
40–60%
What Soil Mix Works Best for a Caraway?
Well-draining loamy soil with added compost for nutrients. Good drainage is essential for Caraway to prevent waterlogging, which leads to root rot and fungal issues.
How Often Should You Fertilize a Caraway?
Feed Caraway every 3 months during the growing season (spring and summer) with a balanced fertilizer diluted to the strength on the label.
Pause feeding in autumn and winter, when growth slows, and never fertilize dry soil — water first.
Fertilizing
Every 3 months
During the growing season
The PlantoScan app can remind you when to water and when to fertilize each plant.
How Do You Repot a Caraway?
Repot annually in early spring. Choose a pot one size larger than the current container, and ensure it has drainage holes to allow excess water to escape.
How Do You Propagate a Caraway?
Caraway can be propagated through seeds, division of root clumps. Similar propagation techniques also apply to carum leucocoleon plant care, which shares the same genus.
Is the Caraway Toxic to Pets and Children?
Toxic (caution)
Reported as toxic in our plant data. Not verified by the ASPCA.
This is a general caution, not veterinary or medical advice. If your pet ate a plant, contact your vet or animal poison control.
See all plants toxic to cats and plants toxic to dogs.
What Pests and Diseases Affect the Caraway?
Caraway is susceptible to aphids, carrot rust fly, celery leaf miner. Inspect the foliage regularly, especially along leaf undersides and stems. Treat infestations promptly with insecticidal soap or neem oil to prevent spread.
Yellow leaves, brown tips or drooping? See common plant problems and how to fix them.
What USDA Hardiness Zone Does the Caraway Need?
Caraway grows outdoors in USDA Zone 3a – 9b. It survives winters down to planting zone 3a. Caraway is native to western Asia, Europe, and North Africa.
Hardiness Zone
Zone 3a – 9b
Keep exploring plants
Caraway is one of many species covered in the complete plant care and identification guide, which groups plants by genus, attribute, and popularity.
It belongs to the Carum genus — compare its care with other Carum species on PlantoScan.
Carum is part of the Apiaceae plant family — browse all Apiaceae genera and species.
Caraway thrives in bright light and direct sun — see other bright-light plants.
Related Plant Care Guides
Closely related plants with similar care requirements:
Sources
- Scientific name & taxonomy: Carum carvi L., family Apiaceae (first published in Sp. Pl. : 263 (1753)) — World Flora Online record, IPNI name record.
- Pet toxicity: Caraway is reported as toxic to pets in our plant data (not verified by the ASPCA), so treat it with caution. Checked against the ASPCA plant list; any other toxicity note on this page comes from PlantoScan's plant database.
- Hardiness zone: USDA Zone 3a – 9b, estimated from the plant's typical growing conditions.
- Care values(watering, light, temperature, humidity, soil, fertilizing): PlantoScan's plant database, filtered by automatic plausibility checks — values that fail them are hidden. How we source and check plant data.
Spotted a mistake? Email info@upvision.media with the page link — we check and correct reported errors.
Identify Plants Like the
Caraway Instantly
Scan any plant with your phone camera and get instant ID, care tips, water and fertilizer reminders, and health checks — all in one app.
Free
to download
iOS & Android
platforms
Light & dark
mode
100,000+
species