PlantFiles: Minoan Lace, White Lace Flower
Orlaya grandiflora

cant say enuf about this plant seems to not mind where it grows- fills in between plants without barging- flowers for ages and grows where you throw the seed. it is beautiful as well great in a vase- makes your leanest of plantings look like a bouquet!!! when it seeds in late summer i will send anyone that wants a packet of seeds free.

We are growing the true Orlaya from seeds purchased from Thompson & Morgan. It is a wonderful white garden flower about 18 - 24" which begins to bloom in mid-spring here in Ohio, along with with Tall Bearded Iris, Alliums, peonies, nepetas, etc. and then continuing to bloom into June and July.

I planted it to attract pollinators, especially the butterflies, but now I am just pleased to have the comely bloom in the garden. I can't understand why it isn't more popular and widely grown.

As laurie mentioned in her Orlaya post here, it is a much more pleasing flower for the garden than 'Queen Anne's Lace' and 'Ammi Majus' and Orlaya is not invasive and should not be confused with them.

As you can see I am a fan of Orlaya. Plant it and you will like it too!

I see from other posting that Orlaya is confused with other plants:
Orlaya grandiflora or “White Lace Flower” is a friendly ferny foliaged annual flower with delicate but long-lasting blossoms both in the garden and in the vase. It self-sows but is not invasive.
Daucus carota - “Queen Anne’s Lace” or wild carrot, is the roadside biennial which is pretty but not recommended for growing in your garden since it is considered invasive. Each fat umbel of tiny flowers has a tiny dark purple one in the center.
Ammi majus and A. visnaga - Each also called “Queen Anne’s Lace”and are grown from seed as annuals. They resemble the roadside plant except they lack the tiny purple flower in the center. Seeds of these and Orlaya are available from Thomson & Morgan and others .

This plant wintersowed very well. The flower is dainty as are the fern like leaves. This will definitely be a repeat in my garden next year!

Here in New England, this is called Queen Anne's Lace and is usually present in vacant lots or unmowed sunny spots as as volunteer. For all its vigor, I cannot get it to grow in my sunny garden. Where it has established itself, it reseeds readily and spreads. Beautiful fragrance, lovely white flowers, also called Wild Carrot.

Related to the carrot,it's leaves are finely cut.The flowers are very pretty and there are plenty of them for a few weeks.Sow the seed as soon as its ripe.