Crestwood High School
Cross Country Course
Mountain Top PA
2009

Daucus carota, whose common names include wild carrot, European wild carrot, bird's nest, bishop's lace, and Queen Anne's lace, is a flowering plant in the family Apiaceae. It is native to temperate regions of the Old World and was naturalized in the New World.

You’ve seen these lovely white flowers before—even if you didn’t know their name. Queen Anne’s lace grows in the wild across the continental United States, from May till October. For this reason it’s known as an American classic. Its scientific name is Daucus carota but it is sometimes referred to as wild carrot or bishop’s lace. It’s also known as bee’s nest or bird’s nest flower because the stems curl upward and form a cup-shaped basket that looks like a nest as its flowers ripen and form seeds Whichever name you prefer, this wild cousin of the carrot has an interesting history steeped in legend and lore.

How did Queen Anne’s Lace get its name? You probably guessed that it has to do with Queen Anne, but like most tales and legends surrounding flowers, there are many.

One tale claims that the origin of the name “Queen Anne’s lace” comes from the lace that was popular during the days of King James I and his wife, Queen Anne, who lived between 1574 and 1619. Another states that the name comes from her headdress, which was lacy enough that it resembled the tightly-knit showy white flowers.

But historians claim it’s more likely that any legends associated with the flower actually refer to Queen Anne II, who lived between 1665 and 1714. She had only one surviving child in all of her 18 pregnancies. Because of that fact, the flower is often associated with the loss of children.

Some believe the flower got its name because while Queen Anne II was tatting white lace, she pricked her finger with the tatting needle, causing a drop of blood to fall on the lace. This is why the white flowers have dark red flowers in the center.

n the 18th century, English courtiers referred to this flower as “living lace.” According to this legend, the “living lace” name came from a contest that the second Queen Anne II hosted for her ladies-in-waiting. She challenged them to produce a piece of lace as delicate and beautiful as the flower—but none could make lace that could outshine the real thing.

As with many flowers, Queen Anne’s Lace has its own unique symbolism and meaning. Because Queen Anne’s Lace features delicate, lace-like flowers, it is associated with beauty, and many women added the flower to their baths in hopes of attracting love.

Because the flower is sometimes referred to as “bishop’s flower,” it symbolizes safety, sanctuary, and refuge. Although another interpretation is due to the flower’s resemblance to a bird’s nest when it goes to seed—it then becomes the perfect symbol of the sanctuary of a happy home.

This plant gets the “wild carrot” name for a good reason. Queen Anne’s Lace and the carrots we eat today are related. The flower produces a carrot-like taproot, and in fact, modern (and much more delicious) carrots were originally developed from Queen Anne’s Lace; they were simply bred to produce a tastier root. Both carry the scientific name Daucus carota, though Queen Anne’s Lace is considered the “feral” version of the plant while today’s carrots are considered selectively bred cousins.

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/what-queen-annes-lace