Queen Annne’slace “Daucus Carota” flower is so common that you might assume t
to be an American native, but it’s really from Afghanistan and was introduced
to the Europe in colonial times. Meadows roadsides and overgrown fields are
full of it lacy, flat umbels made up of many tiny white flowers and a solitary
purple one right in the center. They bloom a long time, from June to August in
most areas, which means you have them throughout the summer to lighten and
soften bouquets of brighter, less delicate flowers. You may like the way the
flowers look when they are fading and start to close up like little cups. They
are the same species as our common garden carrot, and in fact if you pull one
up you will see a carrot shaped, carrot smelling taproot, though its stringy
and white instead of fat and orange. The plants are hardy.
Moreover Queen Anne’slace will
grow in cultivated gardens, although if the soil is very fertile and stems may
become leggy. It will tolerate dry,
infertile soil quite well but needs at least a half day of full sun. In spite
of the fact that it chooses to live in meadows, it cannot compete with vigorous
rooted perennials and grasses. It is best simply to naturalize a clump of it somewhere
and keep the soil weeded and cultivated so that the plant will self sow
abundantly. Like many members of umbelliferae, Queens Anne’slace
does this well anywhere, but in cultivated ground it will do so best. On the
other hand, if you don’t want it to self sow, deadhead the plants or just pick
them. There’s always a place for another bouquet of Queen Anne’slace. Like
other tap rooted plants they can’t be divided but seeds can be collected when
dry and sown outdoors in late spring.
Queen Annne’slace “Daucus Carota” flower is so common that you might assume t
to be an American native, but it’s really from Afghanistan and was introduced
to the Europe in colonial times. Meadows roadsides and overgrown fields are
full of it lacy, flat umbels made up of many tiny white flowers and a solitary
purple one right in the center. They bloom a long time, from June to August in
most areas, which means you have them throughout the summer to lighten and
soften bouquets of brighter, less delicate flowers. You may like the way the
flowers look when they are fading and start to close up like little cups. They
are the same species as our common garden carrot, and in fact if you pull one
up you will see a carrot shaped, carrot smelling taproot, though its stringy
and white instead of fat and orange. The plants are hardy. 
Moreover Queen Anne’slace will
grow in cultivated gardens, although if the soil is very fertile and stems may
become leggy. It will tolerate dry,
infertile soil quite well but needs at least a half day of full sun. In spite
of the fact that it chooses to live in meadows, it cannot compete with vigorous
rooted perennials and grasses. It is best simply to naturalize a clump of it somewhere
and keep the soil weeded and cultivated so that the plant will self sow
abundantly. Like many members of umbelliferae, Queens Anne’slace
does this well anywhere, but in cultivated ground it will do so best. On the
other hand, if you don’t want it to self sow, deadhead the plants or just pick
them. There’s always a place for another bouquet of Queen Anne’slace. Like
other tap rooted plants they can’t be divided but seeds can be collected when
dry and sown outdoors in late spring. 