Specimen record
Queen Anne's Lace
Daucus carota
Conservation note
Naturalized from Europe — the wild ancestor of cultivated carrots. Collect freely. Caution: distinguish from toxic poison hemlock (Conium maculatum), which has smooth purple-spotted stems.
Description
A naturalized biennial from Europe that is the wild ancestor of the cultivated carrot. The flat-topped white flower clusters (compound umbels) are among the most common roadside flowers of midsummer. As seeds mature, the umbel curls inward to form a distinctive 'bird's nest' shape. The tap root smells like carrot when freshly dug. Caution is needed to distinguish this plant from the highly toxic poison hemlock.
Identification tips
- 1Flat compound umbel of tiny white flowers, often with a single dark purple floret at center
- 2Finely divided, feathery (carrot-like) leaves
- 3Hairy stems (important — poison hemlock has smooth, purple-spotted stems)
- 4Mature umbels curl inward to form a 'bird's nest' shape
- 5Tap root smells distinctly of carrot when dug and crushed
Specimen & preservation notes
Press an open umbel face-down with flowers spread flat, plus a 'bird's nest' fruiting umbel for comparison. Include the finely divided leaves. Excellent teaching specimen for distinguishing from toxic look-alikes — label the hairy stem character clearly.
Collection calendar
| Wk | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov |
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Collection notes
Season check
Observed bloom also extends into September.
Flowering records: 508 iNaturalist observations, Massachusetts · Nearby: 1006 observations within 25 km