Queen Anne’s Lace, Daucus carota

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Queen Anne’s lace is often used as an ornamental. It is also known as wild carrot because of its carrot scent and because it is a member of the Apiaceae (Carrot) Family. Be careful with identification as there are lookalikes, like the deadly hemlock plant. My favorite story to tell them apart is about Queen Anne sewing a piece of lace. She pricked her finger and a single drop of blood fell into the center of the flowers, symbolizing the single red or purple flower in the center of each umbel. The presence of this blood colored flower is a positive identification for Queen Anne’s Lace. As a rule, if you are unsure don’t pick it. Identification: Queen Anne’s Lace grows to 1 to 4 feet (0.3m to 1.2m) tall. The flower stems are green, hairy, and may have long red stripes. They are thin and have a thin hollow space in the center. Clusters of flowers, called umbels, are arranged in a tight pattern gathered into a larger umbrella shaped cluster. The umbels are flat across the top and 3 to 4 inches (7.25 cm to 10 cm) wide. Blooms may be pink in bud and white when in full bloom. In the center there is a single reddish or purple flower. Seeing this red or purple flower is a definitive marker for Queen Anne’s lace, but not all varieties have the color.

Queen Anne's Lace, Jrosenberry1, CC 4.0 When the flowers die, Queen Anne’s lace flowers curl into a bird’s nest shape as they dry. Leaves on Queen Anne’s lace are lance-shaped serrated leaflets. Each leaf is 2 to 4 inches (5 cm to 10 cm) in length and slightly hairy on the underside. The plant has a single thin taproot that is shaped like a carrot. Edible Use: The thin taproot from Queen Anne’s lace is edible cooked, however it quickly becomes very fibrous and woody as growth progresses. For eating purposes, only young roots are tender enough to cook and eat. The flowers are edible and are good battered and fried. The first-year leaves are edible in small portions. Caution is necessary when handling or eating the plant because of its close resemblance to poison hemlock. Make sure of your identification before consuming any herb! Remember: Queen Anne has hairy legs.