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Annual Queen-anne's lace (Ammi) / Bishop's flower

Ammi majus (am-ME MAY-jus)

Family: Apiaceae Non-native Herbaceous (3-15 ft)

Bishop’s Weed is a hardy annual in the carrot family (Apiaceae). Native to warm and dry areas in the Nile Delta and the Mediterranean. The genus name comes from the Greek word “sand” referring to its native habitat in the Mediterranean. Allow 18 inches between the upright plant which reaches 3 to 4 feet tall. Plant in full sun or part shade in well-drained, moist soils. Propagate with seeds sown in spring after all danger of frost has passed. It does not transplant easily. Prune after flowering to minimize self-seeding. It received the Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit, indicating it is excellent to grow in ordinary gardens and has no serious pests or diseases. The densely packed umbels bloom from early summer to fall. Birds eat the dried flower seeds in the fall and winter. In addition to enhancing outdoor borders, it is an excellent cut flower in floral arrangements that can last up to 10 days. This is toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. It is cultivated in India to treat skin disorders. In some environments, like Australia, it has escaped cultivation and is considered invasive. Plant in borders or beds in cottage, cutting, pollinator and prairie gardens. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems : No serious pests or diseases.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ Reconciled to full toolbox: matched by slug to slug 'ammi-majus'. Identity (id/common/scientific name) preserved from the original 87-plant Hunnicutt set; attribute data refreshed from the 55-attribute toolbox scrape.

How it fits the guild

Guild layer 4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft) Optimal soil pH Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
See companions & conflicts ↓

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Daucus carota
Fills a similar niche Clematis x hybrida Dianthus Pelargonium x hybridum

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Annual
Life cycle
Annual
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
Available space
12 inches-3 feet
Mature size
Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in. | Width: 1 ft. 3 in. - 1 ft. 6 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (3-15 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect; Irregular
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Lanceolate; Oblanceolate
Leaf margin
Serrate
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The feathery foliage is a popular filler in flower arrangements. They can be 8 inches long and 5.5 inches wide.
Flower color
White
Flower value
Good Cut; Good Dried; Long Bloom Season; Showy
Flower form
Umbel
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
The 3 inch umbels contain densely packed white flowes which bloom early summer to fall.
Bloom time
Fall; Summer
Fruit type
Achene
Stem color
Green
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Macaronesia, Medit. to Iran and Arabian Peninsula
Wildlife value
It attracts pollinators and beneficial insects
Attracts
Bees; Butterflies; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Achene

Uses (ethnobotany)

Medicinal

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Container; Meadow
Landscape theme
Cottage Garden; Cutting Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Border; Mass Planting; Specimen
Garden tags
#moist soil #low maintenance #full sun tolerant #well-drained soil #white flowers #spring flowers #seeds #spring interest #problem for cats #problem for dogs #problem for horses #cutting garden #annual #groups #cottage garden #pollinator garden #naturalized area
Problems & Resistance
Problems
Problem for Cats; Problem for Dogs; Problem for Horses
Propagation
Seed
Poison severity
Low
Poison parts
Leaves; Seeds
Poison symptoms
Photosensitization (sunburn, dermatitis)
Toxic principle
Insoluble calcium oxalates
Contact dermatitis
No
Toxicity summary
Low severity poison; parts: Leaves; Seeds

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.