Queen Anne’s Lace, otherwise known as Wild Carrot is a wildflower herb found in temperate climates across Australia. Although it is primarily grown as a herb, it has become a common lawn weed, found in fertile soils and around disturbed areas such as roadsides and footpaths. It was first introduced to Australia through the colony of Sydney between 1786 and 1798 for food production.
Queen Anne’s Lace prefers the temperate climate of south-eastern Australia and can grow to be between 30 centimetres and 2 metres tall. This herb can be identified by its umbrella shaped flower arrangement and many small yellow, white and pink flowers.
It is a biennial herb, requiring 2 years to complete its life cycle. It can flower any time from spring to autumn but is most commonly seen flowering during summer. Once the plant flowers it will die and no longer be an issue, but the seeds it leaves behind can cause huge problems if not properly dealt with. The herb reproduces through seed only. Each plant can produce up to 1 to 40 thousand seeds per life cycle, these seeds can travel short distances in the wind and water, and can also be transported by animals.
Manual removal methods include mowing or hand pulling during its first year, before it is able to flower and seed. A good time to do this is when the plant is between 18 and 26 centimetres tall as it is mature enough to be pulled effectively but hasn’t reached the seeding stage of its life cycle.
Queen Anne’s Lace can also be controlled through the use of herbicides at three key stages of its growth. Plants that have germinated before winter can be controlled with the use of pre-emergent herbicide, established plants can be taken care of with autumn herbicide application and seedlings can be ridded with either pre-emergent or post-emergent herbicides. Note that established plants are harder to control than seedlings.
As with all weeds, prevention is the best method of treatment. Our Lawn Care Program utilises a combination of reactive and preventative liquid treatments that will keep your lawn weed free year round! Get in contact to learn more.