Queen Anne's Lace

Description:

Queen Anne's Lace grows up to four feet tall. Its leaves are two to eight inches long and fern-like. This plant is best known for its flowers, which are tiny and white, blooming in lacy, flat-topped clusters. Each little flower has a dark, purplish center. The fruits of Queen Anne's Lace are spiky, and they curl inward to build a "birds' nest" shape. This plant blooms from May to October. It is a biennial plant, which means it lives for two years. It will spend the first year growing bigger, and then bloom the second year.

Habitat:

It is a common plant in dry fields, ditches, and open areas. Native to Europe, it is naturalized in North America. The carrots that we eat today were once cultivated from this plant! Also called "wild carrot."

Notes:

Love the common name for this plant. Better picture to come - I see them all over at work! Another interesting tidbit: This plant was once used as a contraceptive; it prevents the implantation phase of menstruation! But it bears resemblance to poison hemlock - so watch out!!