Plant · GBIF taxon 3034742
Daucus carota
daucus carotaAlso known as Queen Anne's Lace, Bird's Nest, Bishop's Lace, Carrot Flower
Queen Anne's lace graces roadsides and meadows with delicate, flat-topped white flower clusters that often feature a single, tiny dark purple blossom at the very center. This biennial plant spends its first year as a low-growing rosette of fern-like leaves before sending up a hairy flower stalk in its second summer. As the seeds mature, the entire flower head curls inward to resemble a miniature bird's nest.
WildflowerBiennialPollinator-Friendly
- diet
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
- family
- Apiaceae
- threats
- Habitat loss, mowing, and aggressive weed management
- life Span
- 2 years (Biennial)
LC
Sap can cause skin irritation in sunlight, and it closely resembles deadly poison hemlock.
The sap contains furanocoumarins that cause light-sensitive skin blistering, and the plant closely resembles deadly poison hemlock.
Never ingest wild look-alikes, and wear gloves when handling the plant in bright sunlight.- Identify carefully: Check for a hairy stem and a single dark central flower to distinguish it from toxic look-alikes.
- Support caterpillars: Leave these plants in garden margins to provide food for black swallowtail butterfly larvae.
- Handle with gloves: Wear gloves when clearing this plant on sunny days to avoid skin reactions to the sap.