What’s happening on Mist Mountain? A Walk Around in April, a very unpredictable month.
Queen Anne’s Lace is starting to grow here, there, and everywhere. Or is it? I think this wildflower is one of the first wild flowers I learned the name of as a child because it was so unique and bold. The wild carrot.
Or so I thought. While doing a little research before I wrote this blog, I found different and contradictory descriptions of this white flower. One page describes it as a great medicinal and culinary herb, while another called it invasive, while still another says it can be toxic to pets.
Then I went to Hansen’s Northwest Native Plant Database at http://www.nwplants.com/information/white_flowers/white_comparison.html
and found a great page that starts with” Please use great caution around white lacy wildflowers.” I had noticed that in places this plant was bigger or smaller or a little different. Now I know why. There are three similar plants with white lacy flowers and they are the good, the bad, and the really ugly.
According to Hansen’s, Cow Parsnip, Queen Anne’s Lace, and the Hemlocks are all similar, and all have different results if messed with. This web site provides a great comparison chart and I will be watching and waiting for these prolific plants to bloom later on this spring to find out what I really have on Mist Mountain. My guess is all three, so I won’t be having any of it for dinner. It definitely looks like the carrot flowers I let go to seed.
Seasoned 