Posted by
mellielong (Lutz, Florida - Zone 9b) on Apr 17, 2015 9:55 PM concerning plant:
The book, "How to Know the Wildflowers" (1922) by Mrs William Starr Dana, gives the common name of "Queen Anne's Lace" and also "Bird's Nest" and "Wild Carrot." She says it is one of the peskiest weeds the farmer has to deal with. The book notes that "in late summer the flower stalks erect themselves, forming a concave cluster which has the appearance of a bird's nest." Some of the photos on this page can attest to this phenomenon. The author also states that she has heard that there is a species of bee that makes use of the "nest" but has never herself seen "indications of such an occupancy." I would be interested to know whether that is true or scientists have discovered proof in the nearly hundred years since this book was published.
As a butterfly gardener, I can attest that this is a host plant for the Eastern Black Swallowtail. This plant does not grow where I live in Florida, but I have seen it used by caterpillars in West Virginia and Kentucky. Eastern Black Swallowtails can be something of a pest to herb gardeners as they use parsley, fennel, dill, and rue. Queen Anne's Lace is a good plant to have nearby if you want to transfer the caterpillars so they can become butterflies without eating your herbs.
Posted by
SongofJoy (Clarksville, TN - Zone 6b) on Jan 23, 2013 10:02 AM concerning plant:
Caterpillars of the Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly eat the leaves, and predatory insects such as the Green Lacewing will eat aphids living on this plant.
Posted by
ZGadev (Varna,Bulgaria) on Jul 12, 2018 12:25 PM concerning plant:
Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota) or in Bulgarian Див морков и срамниче is a really useful herb!
It can be used as a rich source of Vitamin A. It can be used also for: stomach problems, painkiller in high doses, antiparasitic and uterus problems!
It's a common plant here in Varna, Bulgaria. It can be mostly found near the places where Yarrow grows.
Posted by
jmorth (central Illinois) on Sep 17, 2012 12:50 PM concerning plant:
Kids (and adults) like this plant when the stems are cut and placed in a container of water that has had food dye added to it...the flower itself turns same color as the food dye.
Posted by
Sharon (Calvert City, KY - Zone 7a) on Nov 16, 2011 2:10 AM concerning plant:
Queen Anne's Lace can be identified by a tiny single red or purple flower in the middle of a flat cluster of hundreds of tiny white flowers. It should not be confused with the poisonous water hemlock.
The first colonists arriving in America brought carrot seeds with them but the plant soon escaped from gardens and reverted to the wild state that we know as Queen Anne's Lace. The wild root is rich in vitamin A which is good for vision.
Posted by
KFredenburg (Black Hills, SD - Zone 5a) on Jun 17, 2020 2:47 PM concerning plant:
Ancestor of the cultivated carrot. The flowering heads served 18th-century English courtiers as "living lace", hence one of the common names (I'm not sure if this common name is listed in the database).
Posted by
Mindy03 (Delta KY) on May 4, 2012 12:37 PM concerning plant:
Honey bees get nectar from this plant which produces a white honey.
