1 / 15

Daucus carota

Queen Anne's lace

Apiaceae

Europe, western Asia, northern Africa

Attracts Pollinators Attracts Butterflies Drought Tolerant Fragrant (light)

SunFull Sun – Part Shade

WaterLow · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 3–9

Overview

Daucus carota is a biennial in the carrot family (Apiaceae) reaching 24–48 inches (60–120 cm) tall with a 12–24 inch (30–60 cm) spread. The wild ancestor of the cultivated carrot (D. carota ssp. sativus spp.). First-year plants form a basal rosette of finely 2–3 times pinnately compound leaves 3–8 inches (8–20 cm) long with a lacy, fern-like appearance. Second-year stems are erect, hairy, grooved, branching, and solid (not hollow). Flowers are white, tiny, borne in flat to slightly domed compound umbels 2–5 inches (5–13 cm) across, typically with a single dark purple to red floret at the center of the umbel. Below each umbel is a ring of finely divided, pinnate bracts (involucre). As fruit matures, the umbel curls inward to form a concave, bird's-nest shape. Fruit is a small, bristly mericarp with hooked spines for animal dispersal. The taproot is whitish, woody, and slender (unlike the enlarged orange root of cultivated carrots). Crushed foliage emits a carrot-like scent. A single plant produces 1,000–40,000 seeds that remain viable in soil for 2–5 years. Listed as a noxious weed in several U.S. states. Closely resembles the highly toxic Conium maculatum (poison hemlock).

Native Range

Native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa, occurring in meadows, roadsides, pastures, and waste ground from sea level to approximately 5,000 feet (1,500 m). Widely naturalized across North America, found in all 50 U.S. states and all Canadian provinces. Particularly common in dry to mesic roadsides, pastures, and abandoned fields.

Suggested Uses

Used in weed identification courses, particularly for teaching the critical distinction from Conium maculatum (poison hemlock). Larval host plant for black swallowtail butterflies. Seeds used as a spice in some culinary traditions. Studied in crop wild relative genetics as the progenitor of the cultivated carrot. Included in Apiaceae morphology exercises for umbel, involucre, and fruit structures.

How to Identify

Distinguished from Conium maculatum (poison hemlock) by the hairy, solid stems (versus smooth, hollow, purple-blotched stems in C. maculatum), the carrot-like scent of crushed foliage (versus musty, mouse-like odor), and the finely divided pinnate bracts below each umbel (absent in C. maculatum). The single dark purple floret at the center of many umbels is a useful field marker, though not present on all plants. Fruit is bristly with hooked spines, unlike the smooth, ribbed mericarps of C. maculatum. The bird's-nest-shaped fruiting umbel is diagnostic in late summer.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height2' - 4'

Width/Spread1' - 2'

Colors

Flower Colors

white

Foliage Colors

green

Fall Foliage Colors

no change

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~6 weeks

Summer

Flowers from June through August in the second year. Individual umbels bloom for 7–10 days. Compound umbels contain 20–40 umbellets, flowering from the outside inward. In the Pacific Northwest, peak bloom occurs in July. The central purple floret opens before the white peripheral florets. Seeds mature by August through September. Pollinated by a wide range of insects including flies, beetles, bees, and butterflies. Larval host plant for black swallowtail butterflies (Papilio polyxenes).

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

Dark green, finely 2-3 times pinnately compound with lacy, fern-like appearance; hairy stems and petioles

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun SunPartial Shade

Requires 6-10 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range5.5 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

loam clay sand silt chalk

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

1-2 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Management involves removal before seed set. First-year rosettes are dug or pulled in fall through spring before bolting; the slender taproot is easier to extract from moist soil. Second-year plants are cut at ground level before flower heads produce seed. Mowing at the early bloom stage prevents seed production. Because reproduction is entirely by seed, preventing seed set for 2–5 years exhausts the soil seed bank. Wild carrot is the ancestor of cultivated carrots; cross-pollination between wild and cultivated populations can degrade crop quality. Plants tolerate a wide range of soils but are most competitive in dry, infertile, disturbed sites.

Pruning

No pruning applicable. Management involves cutting or pulling before seed maturity. Plants cut after the onset of flowering may still produce viable seed on cut stems if umbels have begun to develop. The bird's-nest-shaped fruiting umbels hold mature, bristly seeds that catch on clothing and animal fur.