ECONNECTION
Queen Anne's Lace
by Karen Dusek

When I was growing up, one of my favorite pastimes in the summer was picking beautiful bouquets of wildflowers, and one of my favorite wildflowers to pick was Queen Anne's lace. Because it grew abundantly throughout the summer in the fields around my home, there was no danger that I would pick too many and affect future populations. The delicate white umbels with their tiny purple centers contrasted nicely with bright orange day lilies and other colorful flowers, and were also a favorite of my mother and grandmother, the happy recipients of my arrangements.

None of us knew then that Queen Anne's lovely namesake was wanted in 45 states for trespassing. Maybe it hadn't yet been identified as a noxious weed. I find it hard to think of it as such even now, despite knowing that it is an intruder brought to this country from Europe where it was popular in gardens during the Victorian period. In some areas, such as recovering grasslands and along railroad beds, it can be a problem since, like all invasive species, it competes with native species for nourishment and space. But, unlike some more persistent non-natives, it is fairly easy to control by mowing or hand pulling before the seeds set, according to the Nature Conservancy.

This plant's natural history is as interesting as its flower is beautiful. A member of the parsley family, it is the origin of a popular garden vegetable. In fact, a full-grown specimen looks very much like a mature specimen of the garden variety, which most people never see because the taproot is pulled up to be eaten before it reaches that stage. Have you guessed what the cultivated version is yet? Here's a hint: The scientific name for Queen Anne's lace is Daucus carota. Another common name is wild carrot.

The wild and cultivated carrots have other similarities in addition to their appearance. Both are biennials, that is, do not produce seeds until the second year of growth. Both have sticky seeds that can be dispersed by animals or by the wind. Both have edible roots. (CAUTION: Queen Anne's lace looks very much like water hemlock, an extremely toxic plant that is fatal if eaten. The leaves of Queen Anne's lace are also toxic. It's not a good idea to eat any wild plant unless it has been identified by an expert.)

Both the wild and cultivated varieties can grow to four feet tall and have large white flowers that are comprised of clusters of tiny flowers. If you look closely, you will likely see many different types of insects that make use of the plant, from the caterpillar of the Eastern swallowtail butterfly, which feeds on the leaves, to bees and other pollinators that sip the nectar, to predatory insects such as green lacewings (how appropriate!) that eat harmful insects like aphids. Some people plant Queen Anne's lace or let some cultivated carrots overwinter in their gardens to attract beneficial insects to eat the pest species that attack their crops.

In addition to these attributes, each flower of the Queen Anne's lace has a miniature purple center that to my girlish imagination looked like a fairy's heart. The dark floweret is sterile, producing no seeds, and no one seems to know what its purpose is.

In addition to being edible, the root of Queen Anne's lace, which contains carotin, can be grated and mixed with oil to treat burns and itchy skin. It has also been used to eliminate internal parasites and to cure heartburn and gastritis. The seeds, which have a diuretic effect, have served as an herbal remedy for cystitis, prostatitis, gout, colic and other gastric problems.

So, despite its status as an alien species, Queen Anne's lace does have its fans, including me. Since it is fairly easy to control and not as insidious as, say, kudzu, I think its good points may outweigh the bad. Perhaps I am letting sentiment overcome good ecological sense, but my mind keeps wandering back to a scene about 15 years ago. We had plowed up a small field for a pumpkin patch at our educational farm and the next year let it lie fallow. I had intended to plant an herb garden there but, as usual, time had gotten away from me. Mother Nature took over and gave us a garden more spectacular than any we could have planted ourselves. That summer the entire field bloomed snowy white with Queen Anne's lace. It was a little girl's dream come true.

(Queen Anne's lace can be easily grown in most soils. To grow them in your garden, just spread some seeds around in a sunny location.)

You may email Karen at karen@lakeshoreguardian.com.