U is for ...

Umbelliferae.
How's that for an unusual U word?

Umbelliferae is the name of a family of plants, which includes herbs such as:  dill, chervil, cicely, lovage, Queen Anne's lace, and others.  These plants have flower heads that are in an umbrellaish (my own u word)  shape called umbels.

 The most interesting tidbit I discovered about the Umbelliferae family is that almost all of these plants are good companion plants in the garden.  The tiny flowers in their umbels attract ladybugs and other good bugs to your garden, which is a very useful trait. 

OK, so it's a stretch, but the only herb I could think of that begins with u, Uva Ursi (though I prefer the Native American name- Kinnikinnick) is used for treating urinary (another u for me) tract infections, which is very unpleasant or maybe uncomfortable, to even think about.  However, it is good information to have if you are unfortunate enough to need it.   To learn more about Uva Ursi click here.

So, you might want to plant some garden helpers from the Umbelliferae family, and maybe some Uva Ursi, too!

That's it for the letter U here at Love Living Simply.

Until next time, visit Jenny Matlock for more Alphabe-Thursday fun!