Daucus carota, Osmia

Sarah Red-Laird, 1978

Trisaetum Bee Habitat in Cyanotype Four

Ribbon Ridge Vineyard

Daucus carota, Osmia

Cyanotype, goldleaf paint, Trisaetum/BGO Entomological Collection

Summer, 2022

Daucus carota, whose common names you might recognize - wild carrot or Queen Anne's lace, is a common wildflower in the Willamette Valley.  You have seen it along roadways, in ditches, fields, and edges of lawns, and vineyards. 

The flowers are all white, with one dark purple bloom in the middle.  The reason for this dark spot has been debated since Charles Darwin speculated that they are a vestigial trait.  It has been suggested that they have the adaptive function of mimicking insects, thus either discouraging herbivory, or attracting pollinators by indicating the presence of food or opportunities for mating (according to the Journal of Natural History).

The common name, Queen Anne’s lace came from the flower’s resemblance to lace and the red flower in the center is said to represent a droplet of blood where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace.   

Though this plant can be mildly toxic to horses, it is for the most part harmless.  Livestock and other pasture animals tend to avoid it, as long as there is plenty else to eat.

If you have this plant on your property – please don’t spray it!  The flower plays host to sweat bees, blood bees, honey bees, small carpenter bees, and yellow-faced bees.