Apiaceae

Daucus carota

Queen Anne's Lace

Stem erect, branching. Leaves pinnately divided to form linear leaflets. Lacy heads composed of hundreds of small flowers. As flowers age, outer edge of inflorescence elongates and curls over center, creating effect of a bird's nest, noticeable in late summer and autumn. Umbel often bears 1 central pink, purple, or brown flower, a possible guide for pollinating insects. Grows on roadsides, disturbed soils, from coast to 4000 ft. Parent plant of our cultivated carrot, with similar odor. Daucus pusillus, a native annual, is less abundant, smaller, and without the single colored flower in center.

• Rarity: Common
• Flowering Time: Late Summer
• Life Cycle: Biennial
• Height: 1--3 feet
• Habitat: Coastal, Meadow, Disturbed, West-Side Forest
• Found In: Siskiyous, West Gorge, Olympic Np, N Cascades Np
• Native: No