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Daucus carota or Queen Anne's Lace
... Queen Anne's Lace
(NOTE: Do not use any herbal or alternative medicines without consulting a physician.)
Daucus carota or Queen Anne’s Lace – also called wild carrot, bird's nest, and bishop's lace - is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. Native to the northeast United States, Queen Anne’s Lace is actually a domesticated carrot.
Queen Anne’s Lace is a biennial plant – meaning it grows roots and leaves the first year and then flowers during the second year – usually growing up to 3 or 4 feet tall. It normally flowers from June to August and these are the flowers you currently see dotting the roadsides and growing freely in fields. The flowers – or umbels – are a creamy, pale pink just before they open and then turn to a brilliant white when in full bloom. A full flower head can measure from 4 to 7 cm wide. When the flowers begin turning to seed, they contract and become concave, like a bird’s nest.
When looking for Queen Anne’s Lace for medicinal reason, you must be absolutely certain of what the plant looks like because it is very similar in appearance to the deadly Water Hemlock. Queen Anne’s Lace is a mix of bi-pinnate and tri-pinnate (lobes) leaves with fine hairs on the stems and leaves and there is normally a single dark red or purple flower in the very center, almost like a bull’s eye. Of course, the root will smell like a carrot.
The roots of Queen Anne’s Lace can be cooked and eaten just like carrots, with the first year roots being the most tender and flavorful. Second year roots can become woody and tough to eat. This is one plant Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts are taught to recognize because it is a handy plant to find if you were lost in the woods and need something to eat.
Many people consider Queen Anne’s Lace a noxious weed, but with its lacy leaves and delicate flowers it is one of the most beautiful wildflowers around. Standing tall, the white flowers appear to float above all the other plants, and when growing with chicory it is breathtaking.
Uses of Queen Anne’s Lace: As mentioned above, the roots are an excellent subsitute for carrots, hence one of its nicknames, wild carrot. The roots are abundant in vitamins B and C, pectin, gluamine, flavonoids and cartotin (a form of vitamin A). A tea made from the roots can also be brewed to use as a diuretic for the prevent and elimination of kidney stones. The seeds have also been used as a remedy for hangovers and to help gastrointestinal problems. Many women in third world countries still use the seeds at a form of contraceptive (this is NOT recommended).
Full disclosure: Although I have eaten Queen Anne’s Lace roots, I’m not crazy about carrots, so I did not like the taste. The only thing I use this plant for is making beautiful bouquets of flowers. I have it growing in my wildflower beds and along the edges of my yard.
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