Queen Anne's Sunset

Sunset behind the dried remains of Queen Anne's lace on the edge of Macquoit Bay in Brunswick, Maine.

While Queen Anne's lace can be found throughout most of North America, it is actually an invasive species introduced by European settlers. Although its common name, Queen Anne's lace, makes reference to the lace like flowers that bloom in the late summer, it was most likely introduced to North America not for its flower but for its root which is similar to a carrot and can be eaten (another name for this flowering plant is Wild Carrot) and the seeds which for centuries were prescribed by physicians as a contraceptive. It makes sense that the Europeans brought  Queen Anne's lace with them, one didn't want to go exploring the New World without talking some Plan B along just in case you found some hot natives along the way. Nothing worse than leaving a trail of little "John Smiths" in the wake of your exploration and colonization. The seeds also have been used as a remedy for hangovers making it truly a wonder plant. 

And while you may think that we have moved past needed to grow our own morning after pill, there are numerous online communities and websites talking about using Queen Anne's Lace (or QAL as they call it)  seeds as contraceptive and groups of people doing their own studies to test if it works or not. Kind of like playing Russian Roulette to see how a gun works.