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What's blooming in Bath, Highland
BY CHARLES GARRATT • STAFF WRITER
 | | Queen Anne's lace may have been named for a Queen Anne who made lace or perhaps it is so named simply because it is the queen of lacy late summer flowers. (Recorder photo by Charles Garratt) |
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WARM SPRINGS - Mixed in with chicory along many roads and in many fields in late summer are the delicate white flowers of Queen Anne's lace.
The flower head is actually many smaller flowers clumped together into a slightly rounded umbel. After the seeds form and mature, the flower head turns upward into a cup shape giving the plant one of its alternate names, bird's nest flower. Each flower in the umbel produces two seeds.
Queen Anne's lace, Daucus Carota, is a relative of the carrot. Some sources say Queen Anne's lace is the closest wild neighbor to the domestic carrot. The roots of wild carrot, as Queen Anne's lace is also known, are edible.
It pays to be careful if selecting Queen Anne's lace for food or medicinal use. The plant, especially the leaves, looks like a couple of other plants that are poisonous. One sure identifying sign is all parts of Queen Anne's lace smell like carrots if rubbed or crushed.
There are many tales about where the name Queen Anne's lace is derived. Often the center floret of the umbel will be red or purple. Some legends say the flower name comes from Queen Anne pricking her finger while making lace and leaving a blood spot on the lace, which the flower then mimicked. Actually the tiny sterile purple flower in the middle attracts insects.
William Turner gave the name "wild carrot" to the plant in 1548. The Queen Anne's lace name came along sometime later but no one is exactly sure. By any name, the pretty plant arrived in this country from Europe during colonial times and has spread from coast to coast.
In some states Queen Anne's lace is considered an invasive or noxious weed. The plant is a biennial, meaning it lives only two years, so it must reproduce from seed. The first year the large carrot like tap root is formed. This is the best time to dig the roots if they are going to be eaten.
The second year the flower head forms on a stalk that can be two or three feet tall. While the seeds are short lived in the soil, each plant produces many seeds with little hooks that help them to be carried long distances in fur and feathers.
Continuing dry weather is impacting farms, gardens, wildflowers and woodlands. Severe drought can cause some patches of wildflowers to disappear for many seasons since the entire plant will die if the roots dry out. Look for spiranthes orchids, ladies' tresses, in wet areas and along back forest roads.
Cardinal flower will still be in bloom for another month or more if there is enough rain to keep the water levels up. Everyone's friend, golden rod, is also making some spectacular displays in spite of the lack of rain.
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