I love umbels! The word umbel describes the radial disks of flowers seen in anise, dill, fennel, angelica, celery, and flat-leaf parsley among others. It is derived from the Latin word umbella, meaning “parasol.” This is fitting since the lacy flowers look like an umbrella, having short flower stalks holding clusters of many tiny individual flowers that radiate out from a common central point. Umbel flowers range from flat topped, like Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota), to almost spherical, like chives. They are found on plants in the aromatic plant family Apiaceae. As the name suggests (apis is the Latin word for bee), these flowers are filled with lots of pollen and nectar, and they are a magnet for beneficial insects such as small native bees, lacewings, hoverflies, and parasitic wasps.
The allure of umbel flowers is in their intricate detail and delicacy, such as in the white Queen Anne’s lace that appears in masses along roadsides in summer. Its flowers are visited by native pollinators, and its foliage feeds the caterpillars of black swallowtail butterflies.
Umbels are a little on the wild side, and when placed in a garden setting, elevate it to an enchanted, lighthearted scene. This is particularly true of the striking, spherical flowers of ornamental onion (Allium spp.) and the dramatic crimson flowers of the 5- to 6-feet-tall Korean angelica (Angelica gigas) that bloom in August through September. Want to spice up a moist, deer-resistant garden with an umbel? Add the deep mauve-pink, pincushion-like blooms of the perennial ‘Star of Beauty’ masterwort (Astrantia major ‘Star of Beauty’). The flowers explode above white bracts (leaves) that are tipped in burgundy. Also try the clear pink flowers of ‘Roma’ masterwort (Astrantia major ‘Roma’). As a bonus, the bracts of astrantia will remain attractive after flowers fade. It is suitable for USDA hardiness zones 4–7.
A word of warning: umbels are basically like carrots, meaning they have a taproot. The exception to this is astrantia. Dividing these plants is difficult, but collecting the seed is easy. Make sure to add some umbelliferous flowers to your landscape. You will enjoy it and so will the pollinators.
Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota) is a wildflower that blooms in the heat of summer. Its delicate, white, disk-shaped flowers float atop 3-foot stems and can be seen growing along roadsides. It is drought tolerant and can grow in infertile soils. Often referred to as wild carrot, it is a biennial—completing its life cycle in two years. During the first year, the plant produces a rosette of green leaves; and in the second year, Queen Anne’s lace produces the compound, umbel-shaped flowers we all enjoy. After the flowers are pollinated, they curl upward to protect the maturing seeds.
Bronze fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Purpureum) has ferny, dark purple-brown foliage with stalks of golden floral umbels. Beneficial insects like bees and hoverflies love this plant. It’s a host plant for swallowtail butterflies. Prefers a sunny spot and moist, well-drained soil but will tolerate drought. Bronze fennel will freely self-seed. Plant with tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis) for a show. Zones 5–9.
‘Dara,’ a cultivar of Queen Anne’s lace (Daucus carota ‘Dara’), is an elegant umbellifer with finely divided green foliage and doily-like flowers in shades of dark purple, pink, or white. The attractive 3- to 5-inch lacy umbels sit atop strong, upright stems. ‘Dara’ Queen Anne’s lace self-seeds readily. A great cut flower that lasts long in bouquets.
Ornamental onion (Allium spp.) flowers are spherical umbels. Their seed heads look like little fireworks atop leafless flower stems rising above the foliage. The bees and butterflies love them, but deer avoid them! Here, an ornamental onion variety has been interplanted with the purple flowers of another deer-resistant flower, spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana).
Here, low-growing lemon-yellow ‘Moonbeam’ coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata ‘Moonbeam’), white Angelonia, and ‘Ice Dance’ Japanese sedge (Carex morrowii ‘Ice Dance’) are backed by a large swath of ‘Autumn Joy’ sedum (Hylotelephium telephium ‘Autumn Joy’) and the vibrant blooms of ‘Goldsturm’ black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii ‘Goldsturm)’.
I layered tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis), an annual, with perennial dark blue salvia and perennial lavender catmint, up front. This is a great deer-resistant combination that pollinators love.