Other common names:
Bird's Nest, Queen Anne's Lace Family: Parsley Family (Apiaceae) Distinctive features:
Root resembles and smells like carrots. Flat-topped umbel of white flowers. Dry fields. Similar species: • Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata) - grows in wet areas - DEADLY POISONOUS. • Bulb-bearing Water Hemlock (Cicuta bulbifera) - grows in wet areas - DEADLY POISONOUS. •
Chinese Hemlock Parsley (Conioselinum chinense)
• Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum) - DEADLY POISONOUS.
•
Caraway (Carum carvi)
• Water Parsnip (Sium suave) - Flower umbel similar; grows in wet areas; leaves very different.
• Japanese Hedge Parsley (Torilis japonica) - Flower umbel is very open and consists of several small clusters of flowers.
Flowers: Summer, Autumn; White; 5 parts (petals); Flat-topped white umbel, often with a solitary purple flower in the center. Summer & fall. Leaves:
feathery. Height:
Up to 1 m (1-4 ft) Stem:
hairy. Habitat: Fields and Open Areas; Dry fields. Uses:
Root is edible - tastes like carrots. The first year roots are the best.
Edible:
Root is edible - tastes like carrots.
Books: Newcomb's Wildflower Guide: 220 Peterson's Field Guide to Wildflowers: 48 ROM Field Guide to Wildflowers of Ontario: 127 Native/Non-native:
Non-native Status:
Common.
Notes:
I have provided a lot of photos of this plant, in order to help you distinguish it from its poisonous look-alikes. Although this plant is edible, be very careful not to confuse Wild Carrot with other similar species, some of which are DEADLY POISONOUS. Be sure that the plant you think is Wild Carrot actually smells like carrots. And that it is growing in a dry field.
Photographs:
155 photographs available, of which 14 are featured on this page. SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOGRAPHS.
Range Map is at the bottom of the page
A field of . They bloom from summer into the fall.
A closer view.
The flower umbel is sometimes rounded on top.
A top view of the white flower umbel.
Note the tiny purple flower in the center (see below).
A closeup view of the flowers.
And here's a closer view of the solitary purple flower that is often in the center.
These bracts that hang down underneath the flower umbel are characteristic of this species. Most of the look-alikes do not have these, or at least not as many.
Flower cluster just starting to open.
When the flowers are done, they curl up into a bird's nest shape. This gives rise to one of this plant's common names: Bird's Nest.
This is what's left of the plant in the winter and following spring.
A leaf. Note the feathery shape. Several of the look-alikes have leaves just like this.
PLEASE NOTE: A coloured Province or State means this species occurs somewhere in that Province/State.
The entire Province/State is coloured, regardless of where in that Province/State it occurs.
(Range map provided courtesy of the USDA website
and is displayed here in accordance with their
Policies)
