As a child growing up, my family, including grandparents and great grandparents spent a lot of time in the forests all over Oregon looking for native plants to eat and use. I remember picking wild strawberries, salmon berries, blackberries, and huckleberries. We also looked for certain types of edible mushrooms that we knew were safe to eat (as not all are) and plants that were known to be herbs and roots that could be used to spice up meals and the like. These were ripe during different times of the summer and fall, so we spent a lot of time out there every year, camping and harvesting.
I think, in my mother's zeal to protect me, she told me that some plants were dangerous that I later discovered were not dangerous at all. Although I was probably too young to understand the names, she would show me the poison oak, poison ivy, stinging nettles and, what looked like wild carrot flowers, also known as Queen Anne's Lace. Now it is possible that she was thinking they were Hogweeds, which are highly toxic to the skin if touched. But I vividly remember her caution to never touch these specific flowers/plants.
Anyway, once I was an adult, I learned that she was wrong. But, in the meantime, as a child, I would even have bad dreams about these terrible weeds burning my skin, and I can remember waking up all scared and shaking from having been hurt by these pretty white lacy flowers with the purple center. Aw, the memories of a child.
Anyway, now that I have explained that bit of traumatic childhood memory, I wanted to share what I found. These pink versions of the Wild Carrot, aka Queen Anne's Lace, are growing out in our field where the chicken's had once been. The soil in the pasture gets pretty overly fertilized as we move the coops and pens around to keep our hens in fresh pasture grass. I think that's why some of the flowers are pink.... I think! But I don't really know for certain. 💮💮
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| Queen Anne's Lace (Wild Carrots) with insects |
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| Queen Anne's Lace foliage |
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| Young Queen Anne's Lace White |
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| Young Queen Anne's Lace Pinkish |
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| Giant Hogweed example |
