wild carrot

What it is

Daucus carota, whose common names include wild carrot, bird's nest, bishop's lace, and Queen Anne's lace (North America), is a white, flowering plant in the family Apiaceae, native to temperate regions of Europe and southwest Asia, and naturalized to North America and Australia.

Where and when to find it

Habitat

You can find wild carrot almost everywhere in the US in open, sunny places like fields, roadsides, and meadows.

How to find it

Look for its large, flat-topped clusters of tiny white flowers. The leaves are feathery, a bit like carrot tops. Crush a leaf for a carrot smell!

Best time of day

Summer and fall when its flowers are blooming.

How it lives

What it eats

Sunlight, water, and nutrients from soil

What eats it

Some insects (nectar), rabbit (leaves), small mammals (seeds)

Worth knowing

• It is the wild ancestor of the carrots we eat!
• After the flowers bloom, the white flower head curves inward to look like a bird's nest.
• The tiny dark spot in the middle of some flower clusters is thought to attract insects.
• Another name for it is Queen Anne's Lace.
• Its roots are white and smell like carrots, but they are tough.
• Many small insects use its flat flower clusters as a landing pad.

Why it matters

Wild carrot is a food source for some insects and helps enrich the soil when it dies back. It supports pollinators.