QAL is a member of the Apiaceae (Carrot) family

Queen Anne’s Lace is related to the common carrot we find in the grocery store! The carrot family (Apiaceae) includes other well-known plants like hemlock, parsnip, fennel, celery, and parsley. Plants in this family often have a long tap root (like a carrot), lacey leaves, and umbel shaped flower heads (similar to an umbrella).

Queen Anne’s Lace is native to Eurasia, it is believed it originated near Turkey and spread from there. It was supposedly named after Queen Anne of England. She was known for loving lace making and the small purple dot in the center of the represents getting pricked by the needle. Queen Anne’s Lace also goes by the names Wild Carrot, Bird’s Nest, and Bishop’s Lace.

Queen Anne’s Lace has lacey, white flower arranged in small clusters combined into one large umbel. The white flower often has a dark purple spot in the center (this is a good way to confirm that it is definitely QAL). The plants grow up to four feet tall with thin stems covered in small hairs and lacey leaves that look like carrot greens. Always be careful when identifying QAL as poisonous hemlock is a look a like.

Wild Carrot (QAL) is thought to have originated over 5,000 years ago near modern day Afghanistan. It has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, and one of our earliest known mentions of it is by Hippocrates 2,000 years ago. Wild carrot was first cultivated into a food in central Eurasia around 1000 CE, although some evidence suggests they may have eaten them in during the Roman Empire hundreds of years earlier

QAL is likely named for Queen Anne II, daughter of James II. She loved lace, made it herself, and had competitions among friends to make the best piece that could compare to the lacey flower. Supposedly she pricked her finger, the blood staining the center of her lace piece – but also winning her the competition. Other stories believe it was her great-grandmother, Anne I, that the flower was first named after. She also loved lace and is often pictured wearing it. Perhaps that’s where the next Anne got her love of it.

European colonists brought Queen Anne’s Lace here and used it in many methods. They ground it as a coffee substitute, made fritters from its blossoms, and soaked the taproots in wine. Native healers from the Cherokee discovered uses for Queen Anne’s Lace to help with dermatological issues. Queen Anne’s Lace was also used to treat the wounds of soldiers in Civil war.

The seeds, flowers, and roots of Queen Anne’s Lace are all used medicinally. Queen Anne’s Lace is a drying and warming herb. It is a Class 2 herb, so there are restrictions for use when pregnant.

QAL is a carminative and is great at helping with excess gas and cramping. It has often been used to help with kidney and bladder issues. It is a diuretic and is helpful increasing urination, flushing toxins, and lowering blood pressure. QAL also works on the endocrine system, and can be used to increase milk production when breastfeeding.

Wild Carrot has been used as a contraceptive since ancient Greece and Egypt, and has continued to be used in places like Appalachia still today. QAL’s association with pregnancy loss and prevention is another of its ties to Queen Anne II who only had 1 of 18 children survive childbirth.