Its Queen Anne's lace. Pretty sure.

It certainly looks like a wild carrot aka queen's anne's lace. Beautiful california poppies by teh way.

I always thought that Queen Anne's Lace had larger heads on them...
Could it maybe be Poisonous Hemlock? I have never seen it, but remember reading that it was a member of the carrot family like QAL. Many pioneers mistook the Hemlock for actual wild carrots and died from it.

I can't say for certain, as I have only seen them in pictures. Link below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Poisonous Hemlock

Yes, the small blooms are what's making me think it's not QA's Lace...also, the lack of bloom stalks. Each of these little flowers is on a stem that's only about 1/4" long. Each leaf has a bloom opposite it, and the pairs are spaced about 3" apart.

{{gwi:657952}}

The whole effect is sort of feathery. Very pretty in a delicate way, but if it's a noxious weed I want to get rid of all of them before they go to seed! Maybe it's some odd variety of QA's Lace? It does have a tap root, but that doesn't smell especially like carrot, to me.

I don't think it's poison hemlock. That article says the crushed leaves smell mousy--these don't--and this plant is only about 1 foot high (though it may get bigger).

Thanks to all of you for responding. I'll take this to the county extension office, if I can't figure out what it is ...I'm really curious now.

Here is a pic. of what I know as Queen Anne's lace. It is invasive in other places, but does not seem to be here in San antonio.

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It almost looks like parsley. Does it have a scent?

Treelover, it is a noxious weed. We have it here too. I think it is called Bishop's weed. I think.

Janie

Yup, it's a weed. Yank it out.

Libby

Wild Vervain? I'm pretty sure.
Verbena pumila var. albida

MeMo

Here is a link that might be useful: Wild Vervain

agree weed... Carrie

Agree: it looks like something from the carrot family, not your Nigella or Bach buttons.

'Weed' is in the eye of the beholder. The carroty things are usually biennial, don't set seed until end of year 2. What I'd do if I liked its looks: keep it around (transplant deep!) and deadhead.

You could try this on the Name that Plant forum. There are lots of very similar white umbeliferous plants, several of which are called QAL as a common name. By the way it's not Bishop Weed which does not have feathery foliage and is Aegopodioum podagra.

Agreed that it is not Bishop's weed. Also, it is not vervain, which has a much coarser leaf. My experience with it tells me to rip it out, quickly!

Janie

that weed has nice foliage that reminds me of some artemisias i've seen

Not any of the above, but it is a weed. It grows here too.
Not even sure that it is a member of the Apiaceae family, but the leaves sure indicate that it might be. I would dig it out.

I have Queen Anne's lace. The white umbels are 4 inches across and have the tell-tale small dark red-violet flower in the center. It was long ago said to be a drop of blood from poor Queen Anne. that is not Queen Anne's Lace.

It's not Sweet Cicely, Poisonous Hemlock, Wild carrot, Wild Parsley, Wild Celery or any others in that family, but it grows all through the woods and in abandoned fields and roadsides and in many gardens (wink).

I know what it isn't, but not what it is! (he he he)

~Annie

You are right, Janie it isn't vervain. This close up also shows that vervain's little flowers grow together on a pod like thing. 'Thing' is a scientific word I'm familiar with.

MeMo

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:657945}}

Well, obviously what I thought was QAL is not.

Annie, thanks for the clarification. I had heard about the red dot. Whom ever gave me the seeds did not know what they had.
Mother told me that when she was a little girl, her mother would mix QAL with pink oleander blooms. At 75+ she still remembered that combo.

Kathy

Haven't heard a word from the extension office, but I agree (finally) with those of you who say it should go, and I've ripped it all out. The larger ones were tough to pull up, with that taproot.

I noticed some of it in the lawn outside my office so I'm quite sure now that it's weedy! Still think it's kind of pretty, though.

I wonder what happened to my Nigella & bachelor buttons...