Queen Anne's Lace (Wild Carrot)

Wild Carrot or Queen Anne’s Lace is one of the first flowers I learned about our here from my friend, Sarah Stewart. However, it wasn’t until this August that I was able to wrap my head around ALL the incredible qualities of this plant. Like, how delicious the aromatic seeds are and that the second year flowers are edible!

The root of D. carota is also edible, and can be cooked and used in a similar way as cultivated carrots. The dried roasted roots can be ground into a powder and used as a coffee substitute. The root of a carrot in flower is too woody to be used. At this point you can peel the stem and eat it both raw and cooked. The flower is also said to be tasty deep fried, go figure! The leaves are edible as both a raw (when young) and cooked green.

Wild carrot has many medicinal properties. The seeds are said to support the kidneys and help prevent kidney stones. They are also carminative and sooth the digestive tract in case of gas, diarrhea, or indigestion. The seeds can also be used to stimulate the appetite, and alleviate menstrual cramps. An infusion of the seeds can be made using one teaspoon of the seeds per cup of boiling water.