Weeds: Wild carrot (Queen Anne’s lace) – Daucus carota

• Family: Apiaceae
• Cycle: Biennial
• Plant type: Broadleaf

Biology

Wild Carrot (also known as Queen Anne’s Lace) is an upright, tap rooted herb, reaching 1 to 4 feet tall. It may occur as an annual or short-lived perennial. The species is often a biennial that bears a rosette of leaves its first season. The entire plant is covered with coarse, stiff hairs. Flowers are small, white and borne in compound flat-topped umbels. The umbels are 2 to 4 inches in diameter. They have purple or pinkish flowers in the center. Leaves are fern-like with small toothed leaflets. The segments are linear, or lance shaped. Wild carrot reproduces by seed. Estimates of seed production vary from 1,000 to 40,000 seeds per plant. Wild carrot is similar to other plants in the Apiaceae (carrot) family when young. From a distance, wild carrot (Daucus carota) may be confused with poison hemlock, although wild carrot is smaller and doesn’t have purple blotches on the stems. Wild carrot is listed as a Washington State Class C noxious weed. It outcompetes native grasses for resources. It can taint milk if dairy cows ingest large amounts. It may be mildly toxic to livestock. Wild carrot may cause poor seed production with commercial varieties through hybridization.

Habitat

Queen Anne’s Lace is found in meadows, pastures, roadsides, and waste places.

Management Options

Use Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for successful plant problem management.

Non-chemical Management

Select non-chemical management options as your first choice!

• Hand-pulling or mowing, during the first year when the plants are 7 – 10 inches tall, can be effective.
• Establishing and maintaining healthy stands of native, desirable vegetation can reduce wild carrot infestations.
• Since wild carrot and commercial carrot are the same species, classical biological control is not a viable option.

Chemical Management

IMPORTANT: Visit Home and Garden Fact Sheets for more information on using pesticides.

Apply according to label directions. NOTE: Some ingredients listed here are only available in combination. Read the label carefully on combination products to make sure the product is suitable for your specific situation.

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