White lace flower

White lace flower: how do you recognise it?

Habit

Loose, branching annual about 60 cm tall and 30 cm wide.

Foliage

Finely cut, almost lacy, mid-green; typical of the carrot family.

Flower

Flat umbels of about 6–8 cm; the outer flowers have enlarged petals. May to August.

Colour

Pure white, sometimes with a faint pink flush.

Fruit

A small split fruit with hooks that clings to clothes and fur.

Flowering: May–August · Sowing: March–April and September

Why grow it?

• Airy white umbels reminiscent of lace, from May to August.
• A lovely cut flower that makes a bouquet light and elegant.
• Bees and hoverflies readily visit the flowers.
• Easy from seed, even on poor, chalky soil.
• Autumn sowing gives plants that flower as early as May, when few other annuals are in bloom.

White lace flower: where does it grow best?

• Sun or light partial shade; it flowers best in sun.
• Well-drained, rather poor soil: sand, loam or clay, neutral to chalky.
• Dry to moderately moist; it does not tolerate wet ground.
• Space 25–30 cm apart; in a group or row they may stand a little closer.

Light

Sun

Soil type

Sand, loam or clay

Acidity

Neutral or chalky

Moisture

Dry or normal

Size

0.6 m tall, 0.3 m wide

Hardiness

Tolerates light frost (to -10 °C)

Goes well with

• Larkspur: Blue spikes that go well with the white umbels.
• California poppy: Orange and yellow flowers that contrast with the white lace.
• Dyer’s chamomile: Yellow flowers a little taller, as a backdrop.
• Cornflower: Blue flowers for a wild, airy effect.
• Ornamental grasses: Soft stems that reinforce the airiness.

White lace flower: when and how to plant it?

1. Sow in September or March–April directly where it is to flower; the taproot dislikes transplanting.
2. Rake the soil fine and sow on the surface, about 0.5–1 cm deep; firm the seed in.
3. Keep the soil moist until the seed germinates, after 2–3 weeks.
4. Thin to 25–30 cm between plants.
5. Autumn sowings overwinter as small plants and flower as early as May; spring sowings flower a few weeks later.

Care

Water

Keep seedlings moist. After that, water only in prolonged drought.

Feeding

Not needed; rich soil gives floppy, over-tall plants.

Support

Push twigs or a net in beside the plants; the slender stems flop after rain.

Deadheading

Cut off spent flowers to prolong flowering; leave the last ones if you want seed.

Cutting

Cut stems in the morning when the first umbels are open; they last a few days in the vase.

Tip: Sow in September or early spring in place; autumn sowing flowers as early as May. It likes chalky, well-drained soil and self-seeds readily.

White lace flower: when to prune it?

When: An annual is not pruned; you only cut spent umbels or flowers for the vase.

How:

• Cut stems for the vase in the morning.
• Remove spent umbels to prolong flowering.
• Let a few umbels ripen if you want to collect seed or allow self-sowing.
• Pull the plants up in autumn and tidy the bed.

Pruning calendar and basic rules

Propagation

Sowing

In September or March–April in place, about 0.5–1 cm deep. Germination after 2–3 weeks.

Self-sowing

Let a few umbels ripen; seedlings come up on their own in autumn or spring.

White lace flower: how does it get through the winter?

Hardy to −10 °C: protect in harsh winters.

• An annual, but autumn sowings overwinter as small plants and tolerate frost down to about −10 °C.
• In severe winters you can protect them with a thin layer of conifer branches or leaves.
• Store seed in a paper envelope in a cool, dry place.

Diseases and pests

• Slugs: Young seedlings and plants are soon eaten. Search for them in the evening or lay a ring of coarse sand or crushed shells.
• Toppling: The slender stems flop after rain. Support early with twigs or a net.
• Powdery mildew: White powder on the leaves in damp, dense growth. Give plants space and remove affected leaves.
• Aphids: Sometimes on young shoots. Rinse them off with water or let ladybirds do the work.

Through the year

• March: Spring sowing.
• April: Sow. Thin seedlings.
• May: Autumn sowings begin to flower. Put supports in.
• June: Flowering. Cut for the vase.
• July: Flowering. Remove spent umbels.
• August: Last flowers. Collect seed.
• September: Sow for flowers next year.
• October: Clear the plants. Store seed.

Good for wildlife

Bees

Nectar and pollen for honeybees and wild bees.

Did you know?

• White lace flower belongs to the carrot family (Apiaceae), like carrot, parsley and dill.
• The outer flowers of each umbel have much larger petals than the inner ones, so the umbel looks like a single large flower.
• The fruits have hooks that catch on fur and clothes, which is how they are dispersed.