This is a fairly common plant with a dangerous “looks similar to” cousin. When you can identify it, please comment with both the common and scientific names. Also, share any stories you may have about your personal connection with this plant.
Multiple plants in a field
Flower blossom beginning to open
Flower head
Hairy stem and three-pronged bracts
Leaf
Flower head becoming seeds
Seed head
ANSWER (subsequently added to this post to facilitate the “search” function for these images): Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota)
This may be wild carrot (Caucus carota) aka “Queen Anne’s Lace”. My Grandmother showed it to me when I was a child in southwestern Missouri.
This year my vegetable garden “magically” produced a very similar looking plant, which turned out to be parsnips. I did not plant parsnips, in fact I never have. But I realized all these parsnips with their “carrot” tops came up right in the space where I had a compost bin over the winter. At some point last winter I bought parsnips at the grocery store and discarded the stem end cutting in the compost bin. They must have been very determined parsnips to survive this past hard winter.
Wild or cultivated, parsnips or carrots…they’re all appreciated!
Yes, Margaret, this is Queen Anne’s lace (wild carrot). Its scientific name is Daucus carota. I’ve always loved the lacy look of its flower.
Thanks for sharing your story about the parsnips. Compost can produce some amazing plants!