DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa is awash in a sea of delicate white flowers in nearly every roadside ditch, along bicycle trails and on the fringes of public parks. The Des Moines Register reports  that they’re known as Queen Anne’s Lace, or wild carrot.

The flower is abundant this year because of optimal road conditions and roadside management practices. Some view it as a nuisance, while others see it as a wildflower or weed. Photographers enjoy the flowers’ beauty, while gardeners yank them out.

Iowa Department of Natural Resources ecologist John Pearson says the plant has flourished because it’s free from normal pest controls in its native Europe.