Queen Anne’s Lace—Edible Weeds

edible_weeds_queen_annes_lace_1Queen Anne’s Lace, Daucus carota, was once cultivated in Europe as a vegetable and is a biennial plant. Like carrots, the roots and leaves of the first-year plant are edible. Flowers can be used raw in salads or fried. Seeds can be used for seasoning.

Unfortunately, a number of poisonous plants that have a very similar appearance to Queen Anne’s Lace, such as Fool’s Parsley or Poison Hemlock. Queen Anne’s Lace has a small purple flower in the center of the flower cluster, and its roots smell like carrot. Below, the top plant is Queen Anne’s Lace, the bottom one is not.
edible_weeds_queen_annes_lace_2Click on the images for a larger view.