Queen Anne's Lace

I know that Queen Anne's Lace is a weed, but every time I see it growing wild in a field, I have to stop and pick some.

It reminds me of summer drives in the country with my darling Grandmother. We would pull over on the side of the road and pick as much as we could find. I still remember her holding her dress up as she would track through the tall grass and other weeds to pick Queen Anne's Lace. Then we would take it home and trim the stems and then place the stems in colored water. After a while, the flowers would turn whatever color the water was that they were place in. It was always fun as a child to see the flowers change.

Did you know that Queen Anne's Lace is also called wild carrot? If you pick the flower when it is young, it will smell just like a carrot, and the stem is also edible. (NOT that I am recommending this)

Other names for this weed are bishop's lace and bird's nest. However, I am fond of the name I have always known it by, Queen Anne's Lace. It is called this because the flower resembles lace; the red flower in the center represents a blood droplet where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace.