The formal name of the carrot family is Umbelliferae which refers to the upside down umbrella shape of the flowers of these plants.  This family could also be called the Umbrella Family! Here are some of the family members:
Veggies:Â Celery, celeriac (celery root), carrot, parsnip and parsley root
Herbs:Â Anise, caraway, chervil, cilantro, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, lovage and parsley
Flowers: Queen Anne’s Lace
Similarities:  The scent of the herb members of this family is said to confuse the bad bugs so they can’t find the plants that they like to munch on. The plants in the family are fairly low maintenance but they do benefit from consistent moisture and mulch. Also, the plants in this family can tolerate the cooler weather in the spring or the fall. When these veggies and herbs go to seed, the seed flower looks like an upside down umbrella.
Differences: For different members of the Carrot Family, different parts of the plant are eaten. For example, the stems and leaves of celery and parsley, the bulbs of fennel, the roots of carrots, celeriac and parsnip and the seeds of caraway and coriander are eaten. Some members take forever to grow (over 100 days) like celery, celeriac and parsnip. The herbs in this family are annuals except for lovage.
We last chatted about the Cucurbit Plant Family.
