Bird's-Nest Daucus carota
Other Common Name(s):
- Phonetic Spelling
- DAW-kus kar-OH-tah
- This plant has low severity poison characteristics.
- See below
- Description
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Queen Anne's lace is a summer biennial wildflower in the Apiaceae (carrot) family that was introduced from Europe and is considered invasive in some states. It has naturalized in many states and can be found in sun to partial shade along roadsides, old fields, and waste places.
The 2 to 4 foot tall umbels of white flowers appear in its second year of growth from mid-summer to mid-fall and have a lacy look. The basal rosette consists of 5-inch long arching leaves with a few leaves occurring alternately up the main stem.
Queen Anne's lace is very adaptable to soils and pHs and can grow in sun to partial shade. The long taproot makes it difficult to pull up. It is not recommended to grow this plant in the perennial garden as it can spread aggressively.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: This plant can cause contact dermatitis in some people.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Colorful Borders
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- D. carota subsp. sativus
- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
- D. carota subsp. sativus
- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Daucus
- Species:
- carota
- Family:
- Apiaceae
- Uses (Ethnobotany):
- The plant has been used medicinally.
- Life Cycle:
- Annual
- Biennial
- Recommended Propagation Strategy:
- Seed
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- Europe, Eastern Asia and northern Africa
- Distribution:
- It is found in the lower 48 states and parts of Canada.
- Edibility:
- Leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds are edible. The young fleshy roots can be cooked or eaten raw, the flower clusters can be french-fried to produce a carrot-flavored dish, the aromatic seed is used as a flavoring in stews, etc. The dried roasted roots are ground into a powder and are used for making coffee.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Edible
- Poisonous
- Weed
- Wildflower
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Erect
- Growth Rate:
- Rapid
- Maintenance:
- High
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
- Soil Texture:
- Clay
- High Organic Matter
- Loam (Silt)
- Sand
- Shallow Rocky
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Alkaline (>8.0)
- Neutral (6.0-8.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Occasionally Dry
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 4a, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 10a, 10b, 11a, 11b
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Fruit Type:
- Achene
- Fruit Length:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Width:
- < 1 inch
- Fruit Description:
- Small, dry, and ribbed with bristly hairs. The compound umbel of fruits folds inward to form a roundish shape that can be blown by the wind and roll across the ground dropping seeds.
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Purple/Lavender
- White
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Umbel
- Flower Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Fall
- Summer
- Flower Size:
- 3-6 inches
- Flower Description:
- Umbel of small white flowers in a lacy-looking flat-topped cluster; 3-4 in. wide; deep purple floret in the center
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Green
- Leaf Value To Gardener:
- Edible
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Alternate
- Rosulate
- Leaf Shape:
- Pinnatisect
- Leaf Margin:
- Entire
- Lobed
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Basal and alternate, 2-pinnately divided and deeply cut into numerous narrow segments.
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Green
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Surface:
- Hairy (pubescent)
- Stem Description:
- Bristly, hairy stem
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Landscape:
- Attracts:
- Bees
- Butterflies
- Pollinators
- Problems:
- Contact Dermatitis
- Poisonous to Humans
- Weedy
