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08 October 2010

A Favorite Flower

Often thought of a prolific weed, I've always found fond affection for Queen Anne's Lace. I adore the clusters of lacy blooms paired with the ivory and brilliant green stems. The sweet flower has both straight-laced symmetry and a bohemian flounce that I've always been drawn to.

And while I haven't seen them in a while, when I was a child we would always look for the dainty faces that had a single deep burgundy bloom right in the center. Have you seen them too? Such a thrill!

6 comments:

  1. I so enjoy your blog- often reading, but I'm unsure as to whether I've commented before.

    I wondered if you knew that Queen Anne's Lace looks very much the same as Poison Hemlock. I mention this because your flower doesn't look (exactly) like what I'm used to for Queen Anne's Lace. Having young children around, I thought you might be interested just in case.

    It's my understanding, though I could be wrong, that Queen Anne's Lace ALWAYS has a purple center, while the poisonous impostors do not.

    http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/projects/poison/plants/pppoiso.htm

    http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/queen.html

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  2. Tracy-

    How interesting! Actually, I received this "Queen Anne's Lace" in a bouquet of flowers and didn't pick it myself, so that is entirely possible. Now that you mention it, I thought the stems looked different than the variety I'm used to seeing.

    The leaves on the flowers shown on the links you listed are different than what I have, but it could still be a hemlock variety. And apparently, QALace is toxic (according to that site), as well. Good to know.

    Thanks for your tips and your comments, Tracy!
    Anna

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  3. Queen Anne's Lace always makes me think of dear Lucy Maud and her endearing heroine, the Annest of Annes, with an "e"!

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  4. I like those, too. I totally know what you mean about that itty bitty flower- I loved finding those when I was small!

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  5. I so love Queen Anne's Lace too...

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  6. I've always liked Queen Anne's Lace. It's so lovely on its own and as a "filler." (Do you remember when baby's breath was ubiquitous--prom corsage, every bouquet...? No, thank you.)

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