Daucus carota

Queen Anne’s Lace

Family Umbelliferae

Description

Growth Form: Herbaceous plant.

Leaves: Rosette of deeply lobed leaves, with long petioles, hairless on top, can be hairy on underside.

Leaves

Flower

Flowers: Small white blossoms in flat-topped clusters, said to resemble lace. Blooms in the second year, late June through August.

Bracts: Stiff and forked, with 3 points.

Stalk: Hairy (IMPORTANT: the hairy stalk is a useful characteristic to distinguish Queen Anne’s Lace from Poison Hemlock, which has a hairless stalk. Poison Hemlock can cause paralysis and death even in small amounts).

Root: White, with the characteristic carrot smell.

Habitat and Range

Waste places, fields. It s found throughout the eastern United States.

Season

Any time from fall to late spring after first growing season. After this, root becomes woody.

Bracts and hairy stem

Root

Fun Facts

Queen Anne's Lace is also known as Wild Carrot, Bird’s Nest, and Devil’s Plague.

Any part of the plant will give off the characteristic carrot smell when crushed.