If you have ever grown carrots in your backyard garden, not pulled them from the ground but watched them flower and grow to seed you might noticed the resemblance.

This is not a carrot flower but a close relative, Ammi majus, the Bishop’s Flower.

Well before Christianity and it’s current day namesake, this plant was used as a remedy for skin disorders such as psoriasis, eczema, and vitiligo (their modern names). My late mum suffered from vitiligo. Perhaps Bishop’s Flower may have helped.

Once a symbol of light and healing, a useful medicinal herb and because of its effect on skin pigmentation when exposed to sunlight, Bishop’s Flower became associated with light, transformation, and divine intervention.

While it is admired for its beauty, its rich history in medicine and folklore are left quietly in the past.