Scapes

Queen Anne's lace (Daucus carota), also called wild carrot or bishop's lace, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It is a common sight in dry fields and roadside ditches almost anywhere in the U.S. This bloom was found growing along Fayetteville Road in south Durham. According to the Wisconsin Master Gardener, the plant is the ancestor of the cultivated carrot. '[It] was brought to North America with the colonists as a medicinal plant and is now naturalized throughout the continent. The roots are high in vitamin A and the juice is purported to be a diuretic, expel intestinal parasites and have anti-cancer properties. Teas made from various parts of the plants were traditionally used for numerous ailments including kidney disease, scurvy and diabetes, but have since been shown to have no medical efficacy.' It can be invasive, but the Wisconsin Master Gardener notes: 'It is a host plant for eastern black swallowtail caterpillars, and many butterflies and adult bees and beneficial insects utilize the flower nectar.'