Common name: Yarrow

Family: Compositae

Range: European native [7,9,41,44]; Widely distributed throughout the United States [4,44]

Habitat: Disturbed soils, roadsides [41], old fields, waste sites, sunny places [4]

Hardiness: 2 [7]

Other Common Names: Milfoil [7,9,25,41], Thousand Seal [7,25], Sanguinary [7,25],

Repellent, Medicine, Beneficial Insect Attractor, Dynamic Accumulator, Fertilizer

Physical Characteristics

Yarrow is an upright, herbaceous perennial herb that grows to a height of three feet [7,39,41,44]. Plants spread by a creeping rootstock [41]. Leaves are narrow, alternate, lacy, linear, aromatic and fernlike [4]. Flower heads are borne in flat-topped clusters, contain five petallike rays and are white in color [4,39,41]. They are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs and are pollinated by insects [56].

History

Yarrow’s Latin name Achillea is a reference to the fact that its potency as a wound-healer is believed to have been discovered by the Greek warrior Achilles [24].

Edible Uses

Leaves, Tea, Beer

Dried yarrow leaves can be brewed in hot water for ten to fifteen minutes to make a nice tea [4,9].

Also, when used in small quantities, yarrow can make a cool addition to salads [7,9,15,35]. It can be used as a cooked vegetable by removing the feathery leaves from the stems, boiling them for twenty minutes and simmering them in butter [9,35].

The strongest time for collecting yarrow is just before the flowers have been produced which is usually late spring or early summer [4,44].

Leaves can also be used as a hop substitute in beer [7,9,25].

Yarrow is a source of potassium [22].

Medicinal Uses

Antispasmodic, Astringent, Diaphoretic, Tonic, Skin Irritations, Cold/Fever Remedy, Toothache Remedy

Both the flowering tops and the foliage of yarrow are antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, chologogne, diaphoretic, haemostatic and tonic [41].

Yarrow tea can be taken to induce sweating [4].

This tea also makes a good wash for all types of skin irritations, but it should be used infrequently as its repeated use can cause sensitivity to sunlight [4].

It can be taken to help clear up head colds and fevers [44].

Chewing fresh yarrow leaves or impacting a wad of them against a painful tooth or gum area will help to relieve toothaches [44].
 

Other Uses

Oil, Perfumery, Dye, Dynamic Accumulator, Fertilizer, Companion Plant, Cover Crop, Ground Cover, Indicator Plant, Insect Repellent, Compost Material, Livestock Fodder, Bee Forage, Beneficial Insect Attractor

An essential oil extracted from this plant is used in perfumery [7].

Yellow and green dyes can be obtained from the flowers [9].

Yarrow is a dynamic accumulator of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus and copper [32,54].

The leaves of this plant can be used to make a liquid feed for plants [15,56]. Fill a container with the leaves, add some water and let it soak for a week or two [56]. Later, dilute the liquid about ten to one with water [56].

Plants increase the aromatic quality of all nearby herbs [46].

It is a great companion plant for grass [15].

Yarrow can be grown as a both a cover crop and a ground cover [7,32].

The presence of yarrow growing wild in an area is indicative of soils that are low in potassium [32].

Both dried and growing plants are said to repel beetles, ants and flies [15].

Yarrow provides wonderful compost material and it will help speed up the composting process when added to piles [15]. The flowers of this plant are an essential ingredient of ‘Quick Return’ herbal compost activator [15].

Both the foliage and the flowering stocks can be used medicinally for livestock, especially sheep [7,39,46]. Yarrow can be grown as a pasture crop so that livestock can browse it as they please.

Plants provide forage for bees and attract beneficial insects including ladybugs, parasitic wasps, aphids, scales and whiteflies [7,32,39].

Cultivation Details

Plants are sun loving though they are also tolerant of shade [7,24,56]. They also grow very well in poor soils and prefer those that are dry [7,9,15,56]. Plants will grow in light, medium and heavy soils as well as soils that are acidic, neutral and alkaline in pH [9]. Once established, yarrow is wind and drought-resistant [9,15,39,56].

When growing it as a ground cover, plants should be spaced eighteen inches apart [9]. They spread quickly and vigorously and form a moderate cover [9].

Plants can be propagated by seed (which usually take one to three months to germinate), root division and basal cuttings [41]. Cuttings should be taken in spring when the shoots are about four inches tall [56]. They should take root within three weeks [56].

Known Hazards

Yarrow can become invasive, so if you worry about the seeds spreading, simply cut off the flowering heads before they have the chance to set seed.