Clustered together, on the exquisite umbels of Queen Anne's Lace, are hundreds of tiny white flowers. What a collective impression they make! Each
large and full flowerhead is reminiscent of frilly white lace.
According to legend, delicate white lace tatted by Queen Anne of
England became the flowers of this beautiful plant. A very regal
beginning!
One of the things I love about this old-world plant is the way in which the flowers bloom. At first, each umbel is closed up while tiny buds form. Then, each umbel's "spokes" gradually open out until the flowers are in full bloom, covered in a mass of white "lace". After the flowers are spent, the "spokes" of each umbel become dry and brown and close in on themselves again. So much like opening and closing umbrellas!
Queen Anne's Lace is known by another name too, Wild Carrot (Daucus Carota). As a member of the carrot family, its young roots are edible though I have never tried them (and one has to be careful as I've read that certain relatives of Queen Anne's Lace are poisonous) as I grow it just for its beautiful blooms and the beneficial insects it invites into the garden.
I planted just two little seedlings of Queen Anne's Lace in my garden a couple of years ago. Now, thanks to the ease with which the seeds disperse on the wind from those dry, closed-up umbels, I have dozens of plants and many white, lacy flowers to enjoy each Spring.
I planted just two little seedlings of Queen Anne's Lace in my garden a couple of years ago. Now, thanks to the ease with which the seeds disperse on the wind from those dry, closed-up umbels, I have dozens of plants and many white, lacy flowers to enjoy each Spring.
Do you grow Queen Anne's Lace too?
Meg
I have grown Queen Anne's lace in the past, Meg. It is a truly lovely plant. At the moment I have a young elderberry tree that has flowered and at the moment it looks a bit like Queen Anne's lace.
ReplyDeleteOh, I would love an elderberry tree, Sherri! I love the flowers and elderberry cordial! Meg
DeleteI've never grown it, but I would love too!
ReplyDeleteIt so easy to grow, Cheryl. All these little seedlings just pop up in Spring here now and before I know it they're quite tall and there are masses of these lacy flowers. It's one of my favourite plants because it basically grows itself! Meg:)
Deletei've been trying to grow it for years, from seed, never a plant though, the seeds for some reason never germinate
ReplyDeletethose flowers are spectacular! lovely photos!
thanx for sharing
Hi, Selina. I was so excited when I found those first two small seedlings at the Northey Street City Farm nursery a couple of years ago. Now, more and more pop up each year from self-sown seeds. It's a shame your seeds are not germinating:( If you email me your address to hopeful.nature@gmail.com I will happily collect some seed from this year's flowers and send it to you for you to try. Meg:)
DeleteSimply stunning ♥
ReplyDeleteThey are so beautiful, aren't they! Today, I am going to pick a big bunch of them and take them in to a friend who could use a little cheering up. There's nothing like flowers to make one smile. I have had a little peek at your blog too, Summer and I'm looking forward to some time later in the week to visit and read some of your posts. Thanks for visiting here. Meg:)
DeleteI love Queen Anne's Lace and have several seedlings in my greenhouse waiting to go into the garden.
ReplyDeleteI love it too, Jan. It grows happily here with barely any nurturing from me. As it self seeds prolifically, each year more and more little seedling pop up. It's lovely to see them coming up in the garden. I hope your seedlings grow tall and flower beautifully for you. Meg:)
DeleteAbsolutely stunning photos Meg. That's another plant to go onto my wish list. I wonder if they will grow in our dry summers here in South Aust?
ReplyDeleteHi, Sally. In my garden, here in sub-tropical Brisbane, the seedlings of Queen Anne's Lace pop up in early Spring and they will be finished flowering by mid - late November. It seems to cope very well with unseasonably hot days like the 35C we had here yesterday but I'm not sure how well seed would germinate and seedlings would grow in very hot/dry conditions such as those you have there during Summer. Meg:)
DeleteThey are so pretty those flowers aren't they. My Mum has a large plant at her place near the stairs to her house.
ReplyDeleteHi, Kathy. I've just come back up from the garden with a big bunch of Queen Anne's Lace and Gardenias to give to a friend when we visit for morning tea today. Queen Anne's Lace is beautiful and is a lovely cut flower too.
DeleteIf you wanted some Queen Anne's Lace in your garden, you could collect some tiny seeds when they form on your Mum's plant. Just cut off a brown, dry, closed-up umbel and shake it within a paper bag. Meg:)
So very pretty Meg.
ReplyDeleteI do not grow this plant, but my mum used too on our farm. They always stood out among the other flowers.
They stand out in my garden here too, Tania. They are quite tall and their flowerheads can be quite large. I think also that white blooms, in the green of a garden, really stand out. Meg:)
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