Queen Anne's Lace

Thursday
Today was a perfect summer's day - if only more were like today, rather than unpleasantly hot and humid, which we will shortly be returning to! I decided I hadn't been to Glenwood Gardens in a little while, so went there for my daily exercise. I thought the lovely flower of the Queen Anne's Lace looked quite beautiful against the gorgeous blue sky.

Queen Anne's Lace, otherwise known as wild carrot, is native to temperate regions of Europe, southwest Asia and naturalized to northeast North America and Australia.
It is now found throughout the United States, in fields, meadows, waste places, roadsides, fence rows, and disturbed habitats, and is considered by many to be an invasive weed, as it will sometimes crowd and compete with native plants. However, some animals have benefited from the arrival of this wildflower. Caterpillars of the Eastern Black Swallowtail butterfly eat the leaves, bees and other insects drink the nectar, and predatory insects, such as the Green Lacewing, come to the plant to attack prey, such as aphids. Queen Anne's Lace has feathery, finely divided leaves and a stem that rises 2-4 feet tall.  The showy white flower is shaped like an umbrella and is made up of many small flowers in a lace-like pattern.  At the center is a purplish-black floret. It's root is thick and resembles a carrot. Queen Anne's Lace is a member of the Apiaceae, or parsley, family.  It is the ancestor of the domestic carrot, and is related to parsley, poison hemlock and fool's parsley.
Traditionally, tea made from the root of Queen Anne's Lace has been used as a diuretic to prevent and eliminate kidney stones, and to rid individuals of worms. Its seeds have been used for centuries as a contraceptive; they were prescribed by physicians as an abortifacient, a sort of  "morning after" pill. The seeds have also been used as a remedy for hangovers, and the leaves and seeds are both used to settle the gastrointestinal system. Grated wild carrot can be used for healing external wounds and internal ulcers.  The thick sap is used as a remedy for cough and congestion.  The root of Queen Anne's Lace can be eaten as a vegetable or in soup.
Queen Anne's Lace is said to have been named after Queen Anne of England, an expert lace maker.  When she pricked her finger with a needle, a single drop of blood fell into the lace, thus the dark purple floret in the center of the flower.

One year ago: Foggy morning in the park