Macro Photography: Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace has a single colored flower in the center.

Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace Seeds

It is easy to see where this delicate flower got its name, as the clusters of tiny florets really do resemble lace. These wildflowers blanket roadsides and fields in mid to late summer in Maine. The flowerhead contains hundreds of tiny flowers that range from pure white to ivory or cream, with one tiny, dark  colored flower in the middle. This Queen Anne's Lace had a pink flower in the center, but they are typically dark purple to nearly black.

Scientists do not know why Queen Anne's Lace had one colored flower in the center, but many believe its purpose is to mimic an insect on the flower. This may entice other insects to stop to check out the flower, or may draw in predators like wasps. It is thought that it is nature's way of ensuring the flowers are pollinated. Ancient folklore says that eating the tiny colored flower cures epileptic seizures.

According to legend, Queen Anne, wife of King James I, was challenged by her friends to create lace as beautiful as a flower. While making the lace, she reportedly pricked her finger on the needle and a drop of blood fell upon the flower. The purple flower in the center of the Queen Anne's Lace represents the blood of the queen.