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wild carrot

Scientific Name: Daucus carota ssp. carota

Family: Apiaceae

Category: Dicot

Growth:

Duration:

Other Names:

       

Wild Carrot (Daucus carota)

Also known as Queen Anne's Lace, bird's nest, and bishop's lace, the wild carrot (Daucus carota) is a common wildflower with a fascinating history and a few considerations for gardeners and foragers.

Considerations for Pets and Children

  • Wild Carrot has a thin, wiry taproot, unlike the fleshy roots of cultivated carrots.
  • Distinguishing wild carrot from potentially harmful plants like Water Hemlock is crucial when foraging.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

  • Scientific Name: Daucus carota
  • Common Names: Wild Carrot, Queen Anne's Lace, Bird's Nest, Bishop's Lace
  • Family: Umbelliferae (also referred to as the Parsley family)
  • The name Umbelliferae refers to the flat, umbrella-shaped flower heads (umbels) characteristic of plants in this family.

Distribution and Habitat

  • Native to Europe.
  • Widely distributed in Ontario, Canada.
  • Found in old pastures, waste places, roadsides, meadows, and occasionally as a weed in gardens and flower borders.
  • Introduced to the United States approximately 250 years ago.

Ecological Role

  • Can cause poor seed production with commercial varieties through hybridization.
  • Considered a noxious introduced weed in some regions.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

  • Wild Carrot is typically a biennial, growing its vegetation in the first year and flowering/seeding in the second. However, it can sometimes be an annual or a short-lived perennial.
  • During the first year, it consists of a rosette of basal leaves.
  • In the second year, it bolts upward to produce flowering stems.
  • The flower heads are flat and white, often with a small red spot in the center.
  • The root is thin, wiry, and not as palatable as cultivated carrots.

Traditional Uses

  • The root is edible, tasting similar to carrots, with first-year roots being preferred.
  • Flowers have been used as a dye.
  • Seeds have been used in ale recipes.

Quirky Facts

  • The red spot sometimes found in the middle of the white blossom is a key identifier.
  • Early Europeans cultivated Queen Anne's Lace, and the Romans also utilized it.