I’ve always loved Apiaceae — a family of plants also called Umbellifereae, hence their common name and a word I dearly love, umbellifers — but I come to appreciate them more all the time.
I heard ages ago if you want to attract beneficial insects, plant umbellifers. I made note, and guess what? It’s true. When the Apiaceae bloom, they attract all kinds of itty beneficial insects that feed on the nectar of the plants’ many tiny flowers, which together form groups of up-turned flowerheads called umbels (hence that name). These little guys also happen to enjoy a meal of common garden pests, and will go hunting for yours when they’re done at the umbellifer bar.
So what’s an umbellifer? I will tell you. Carrots are umbellifers. More surprisingly? Carrots are the domesticated version of one of my favorite weeds, Queen Anne’s lace. Additionally, your spice rack is probably alive with umbellifers: dill, cilantro, cumin, chervil, fennel, caraway, lovage, and anise. Another popular (or unpopular — yuck) vegetable that is an umbellifer is celery.
One surprising member, among everyday garden plants? Eryngiums are umbellifers. I didn’t know that before. Also everyone’s favorite, Angelica (pictured in the banner), popular Astrantia, and lesser known Chaerophyllum, Ammi, Myrrhis, and many others.
One umbellifer I’d implore you NOT to plant, at least in this part of the country, is Aegopodium, the bishop’s weed, a terrible, horrible invasive species.
As part of your integrated pest management program, however, I will task you with planting at least one umbellifer this year! Come on, there has to be one here you can make room for in your garden. The more of those beneficial insects you attract with umbellifers, the less non-organic pest control you’ll have to resort to.
It should also be said the family Apiaceae is closely related to the family Araliaceae, which we must discuss at some point soon. Meanwhile, here are some umbellifer family member portraits:
My favorite is a wild Angelica that blooms in Norway while we’re there. The fragrance is to swoon over. I don’t know why everyone doesn’t like Queen Anne’s lace, at least when growing in the wild, but the Bishop’s wild may move me to using Roundup. (I haven’t used it before but it’s overtaking my lower beds.)
I want to know what that Angelica is! I actually love Queen Anne’s lace, though I’m not sure if I should… Ask me again if I end up pulling it out of beds all over. Bishop’s weed is one invasive species my organic accreditation permits the use of systemics like RoundUp to get rid of, should one choose, and even then it requires repeated treatment. It is the WORST!
I love some members of the Apiaceae: Eryngium and Astrantia especially-while I get psychotically angry about goutweed. You’ve managed to get rid of it with roundup? You’re to be commended-I have the all-green form in several locations and it’s a battle royal to keep it curbed. Hubby whippersnips it weekly so that it doesn’t get a chance to flower but it’s SO hard to get rid of. It shouldn’t be sold. (I had a tantrum about it, and other things, on my latest blog post.)
@jodi: Oh, I haven’t gotten rid of it with RoundUp, I’ve only heard! Regardless, I know what you’d have to do is be prepared to hit it every time it started to regenerate. I’ve sprayed mine with something organic, and it knocked it back, but when it sent up new growth I didn’t have time to keep after it.
I’d be willing to bet smothering it with a thick layer of cardboard with a thick layer of mulch on top of that would work too, and THAT’S an organic method!