Umbel sculpture in Carmel, Indiana roundabout
Carmel, Indiana is located in southern Hamilton County, and is immediately adjacent to Indianapolis which is just across the county line in Marion County. Carmel now has the distinction of having more traffic roundabouts than any other city in the United States. There are now about 150 roundabouts in Carmel, and the number continues to rise. They have a number of positive attributes, among them that they keep traffic moving at a more constant pace instead of the stop and go pace caused by traffic signals. They also improve air quality by reducing idling when vehicles are stopped at traffic signals.
In the center of most roundabouts, there is often little of interest, although some are planted with flowers and shrubs, and perhaps others have artistic structures of one sort or another. There is one on Westfield Boulevard in Carmel near where it crosses over I-465 that is my favorite so far. It is a tall metal sculpture (about 20 feet tall) of an umbelliferous plant. At night, little lights appear on the flowers! Although this is probably meant to suggest the common non-native umbel Queen's Ann's Lace (Daucus carota), I prefer to think of it as something more conservative like Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea), or even more conservative like Cowbane (Oxypolis rigidior), or even something downright rare like Hemlock Parsley (Conioselinum chinense). In any case, it stands out among Carmel's many roundabouts for its distinctive take on artistic sculpture.
Umbel sculpture in Carmel, Indiana roundabout
Carmel, Indiana is located in southern Hamilton County, and is immediately adjacent to Indianapolis which is just across the county line in Marion County. Carmel now has the distinction of having more traffic roundabouts than any other city in the United States. There are now about 150 roundabouts in Carmel, and the number continues to rise. They have a number of positive attributes, among them that they keep traffic moving at a more constant pace instead of the stop and go pace caused by traffic signals. They also improve air quality by reducing idling when vehicles are stopped at traffic signals.
In the center of most roundabouts, there is often little of interest, although some are planted with flowers and shrubs, and perhaps others have artistic structures of one sort or another. There is one on Westfield Boulevard in Carmel near where it crosses over I-465 that is my favorite so far. It is a tall metal sculpture (about 20 feet tall) of an umbelliferous plant. At night, little lights appear on the flowers! Although this is probably meant to suggest the common non-native umbel Queen's Ann's Lace (Daucus carota), I prefer to think of it as something more conservative like Golden Alexanders (Zizia aurea), or even more conservative like Cowbane (Oxypolis rigidior), or even something downright rare like Hemlock Parsley (Conioselinum chinense). In any case, it stands out among Carmel's many roundabouts for its distinctive take on artistic sculpture.