It is early June, and I have been keeping an eye on the changes in the distinctive highly segmented leaves of Yarrow, which resemble a squirrel’s tail in its early stages (the species name is millefolium, which translates to thousand leaves in Latin). Yarrow is making its appearance in the field, the yard and the gardens and some of the plants are presenting with an emerging rigid, square flower stalk, where the soft, delicate, feathery like leaves, are beginning to dwindle. Smaller, very finely divided leaves can be seen alternating on the stalk as they get close to the flat topped clusters of whitish colored flowers that are beginning to open. I am delighted to know this plant grows around here, as I have just gotten quite a few scratches from weeding the raspberries, and know exactly how to stop the bleeding and disinfect the wounds while I am out in the gardens. I crush a few leaves and flowers and make a poultice and inhale deeply… ahh, there is no mistaking the strongly aromatic scent that is Yarrow, and then I apply the poultice to my bloody wounds, which stops the bleeding and soothes the pain.
Yarrow is an herbaceous perennial found throughout the northern hemisphere and is endemic to North America, Europe and Asia. It is a member of the Asteraceae family, and can be found growing along roadsides, fields, prairies and sunny areas with well drained soils. The small flowers have five petals surrounding a tiny central disk, with each blossom about one fourth of an inch, creating a table top cluster that sits atop a single stem. The plants may range from less than one foot, to three feet in height. I have noticed that the plants in the garden get much taller than the ones in the fields and surrounding prairies. Additionally, I have observed that the plants that grow in rocky and poor soil seem to have a stronger odor in the leaves and flowers than those that are watered and maintained in the garden. I have observed this phenomena here in the Midwest, on the North West coast, and in parts of England and Scotland. It has been suggested that the Yarrow plants growing in more fertile conditions contain less medicinal qualities than plants growing in poor soil (Richo Cech, 2016; Sharol Tilgner, 2012; and Matthew Wood, 1997).
Yarrow has a long history of use in herbal medicine. Greek legends tell of its use by Achilles during the Trojan War to treat soldiers, with a Yarrow poultice to staunch bleeding on the battlefield, thus the genus name, Achillea named for the great hero. Other names associated with Yarrow are Soldier’s woundwort, Nosebleed, Mifoil, Thousand- Leaf, and Squirrel tail, among others. The traditional uses of Yarrow are/were as a styptic, disinfectant, astringent, anti-inflammatory, painkiller, diaphoretic, bitter tonic and diuretic. The fresh and dried aerial parts of the plant are used most frequently, with some use of the roots used historically. Yarrow was/is used topically and internally as a poultice, tea, succus, tincture, and in brews.
The current uses of Yarrow are very similar to the traditional uses. In addition to treating wounds, it is often used to treat colds, flus, and fevers, as well as, painful or suppressed menses, bleeding hemorrhoids and as a digestive tonic. Yarrow has a cooling and drying energy. Because of it anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic abilities, it is used for irritable bowel syndrome and gastric ulcers with bleeding. The dried tea of herb and flowers is used to help alleviate a fever and is very nice in combination with Elder flowers and Peppermint leaves. A sitz bath can be used with dried Yarrow in hot water for hemorrhoids and episiotomy incisions or perineal tears. Our favorite use of Yarrow is as a fresh poultice to stop bleeding or in a first aid spray to disinfect wounds, stop bleeding and ease the pain of minor injuries, abrasions and cuts (we also find it effective as an insect spray, a tip from my main teacher Linda Conroy, a bioregional and Wise Woman Herbalist in Wisconsin).
If you don’t know this plant, it is a good one to invite into your garden or to identify in nearby places, in case you might require some healing assistance. And, Yarrow attracts beneficial insects to your garden and it deters many pests in the garden, such as Japanese beetles, which have been quite plentiful this summer. Yarrow is fairly easy to grow and isn’t fussy about the quality of soil, as long as it is well drained and in a sunny location. We have Yarrow growing naturally in our back yard (field) and in our gardens, having grown the plants from seeds in early spring. Additionally, we have had good success with dividing the roots and transplanting them into other gardens. Yarrow also propagates well on its own, so offer them lots of space.
May we grow ever appreciative of the weeds that grow in our midst and may we engage in relationship with them so that we might learn how to bring healing to ourselves and to all life around us.