Daucus carota, commonly known as wild carrot or Queen Anne’s lace, is a non-native perennial herb in California. Daucus carota is native to Europe and Southwest Asia, and was introduced to the United States by European settlers (1). It invades disturbed dry prairies, abandoned fields, and roadsides posing as a threat to native species (2). Daucus carota contains essential oils with antimicrobial activities that have been used in traditional medicine (3).

Native: Not Native to California

Flowering Period: May - September

Nature Serve Global Ranking: GNA

Nature Serve State Ranking: SNA

(1) Ephantus J Muturi, Kenneth Doll, Jose L Ramirez, Alejandro P Rooney, “Bioactivity of Wild Carrot (Daucus carota, Apiaceae) Essential Oil Against Mosquito Larvae,” published December 19, 2018, https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/56/3/784/5253579.

(2) “Bioactivity of Wild Carrot (Daucus carota, Apiaceae) Essential Oil Against Mosquito Larvae,” https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/56/3/784/5253579.

(3) Ana Cristina Tavares, Maria José Gonçalves, Carlos Cavaleiro, Maria Teresa Cruz, Maria Celeste Lopes, Jorge Canhoto, Lígia Ribeiro Salgueiro, “Essential oil of Daucus carota subsp. halophilus: Composition, antifungal activity and cytotoxicity,” published September 2, 2008, https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378874108003267.