SafePlants

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Achillea millefolium, commonly known as yarrow or common yarrow, is a widely recognized flowering plant appreciated for its diverse uses and adaptability.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Achillea millefolium
• Common Names: Yarrow, Common Yarrow, Milfoil, Western Yarrow, Bloodwort, Carpenter's Weed, and others.
• Family: Asteraceae (Sunflower or Daisy Family)
• Synonyms: Some texts refer to it as Achillea millefolium (LINN.), highlighting the Linnaean classification.

Considerations for Pets

• Yarrow is described as a herb and has a strong scent, characteristics that might attract the curiosity of some animals.

Considerations for Children

• Yarrow is described as a herb and has a strong scent, characteristics that might attract the curiosity of some children.

Description and Growth

• Yarrow is a perennial broadleaf herb, typically growing to a height of 30 cm to 70 cm (approximately 1 to 2.3 feet).
• It features several stems rising from a branched rootstalk and an extensive system of underground creeping stems (rhizomes).
• The leaves are alternate, aromatic, and finely divided, giving them a feathery or fern-like appearance and a soft texture. They can grow up to 10 inches long.
• The plant generally has no branches except near the top.
• Flowers are small (approximately 6 mm wide), typically white with 4 to 6 notched petals, and are arranged in flat-topped clusters (2 to 4 inches wide) at the heads of the stems. Pinkish varieties also exist in cultivation.

Distribution and Habitat

• Common yarrow is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Eurasia.
• It has been introduced to North America and is now widely naturalized.
• It is found growing wild all over the world but is most common in Europe, Asia, and North America.
• Yarrow inhabits all 50 states of the United States, as well as all of Canada.
• It thrives in open, dry to somewhat moist areas from low to high elevations and is tolerant of disturbance, including grasslands, chalk land, and roadsides.

Ecological Role

• Yarrow can be considered a common weed, demonstrating a spreading habit that allows it to fill available space easily.

Traditional and Modern Uses

• Historically, several tribes of the Plains region of the United States, including the Pawnee and Chippewa, used common yarrow.
• In Britain, it has been highly regarded for its medicinal properties since Anglo-Saxon times.
• Traditional uses include medicine, fumigation, and as an insecticide. It is known for its ability to stop bleeding.
• Modern uses include cosmetic, decorative, and medicinal applications. Cosmetic uses are specifically noted.
• Yarrow has also been used for fever, common cold, hay fever, absence of menstruation, dysentery, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and gastrointestinal (GI) tract discomfort.

Quirky Facts

• Yarrow has a history as a love charm.
• It has been known by some interesting common names, including "old man's pepper" and "nosebleed."

Further Information

• The RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) provides help and information on Achillea millefolium.
• Monrovia offers details and information on specific cultivars like 'Paprika' Common Yarrow.