SafePlants

Common Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Achillea millefolium, commonly known as yarrow or common yarrow, is a flowering plant belonging to the Asteraceae family.

Considerations for Pets

• The plant has a strong scent.
• Yarrow has been used as an insecticide.

Considerations for Children

• Common yarrow is known by other names such as carpenter's weed and nosebleed.

Taxonomy and Nomenclature

• Scientific Name: Achillea millefolium
• Common Names: Yarrow, Common Yarrow, Milfoil, Western Yarrow, Bloodwort, Carpenter's Weed, Knight's Milfoil, Noble Yarrow, Old Man's Pepper, Nosebleed, Carpenter's Grass, Devil's Nettle, Devil's Plaything, Dog Daisy, Fernweed, Little Feather.
• Family: Asteraceae (also referred to as Compositae or Sunflower family)

Distribution and Habitat

• Native to temperate regions.
• Found growing wild all over the world, but most common in Europe, Asia, and North America.
• Emigrated from Europe to North America.
• Found throughout the United States except on the Gulf Coast.
• Inhabits all 50 states, as well as all of Canada.
• Common in open, dry to somewhat moist areas from low to high elevations, tolerant of disturbance.
• Grows freely in grassland, chalk land, roadsides, and other sites.

Morphological Characteristics and Growth Habits

• Hardy perennial herb.
• Perennial broadleaf plant with an extensive system of underground creeping stems.
• Herb (a non-woody plant) about 30 cm to 70 cm tall.
• Grows to 3 feet tall and has no branches except near the top.
• Erect stems are woolly.
• Leaves are alternate, aromatic, up to 10 inches long, very finely divided creating a soft texture, and feather-like.
• Plants flower from June to September.
• Flowers are approximately 1/4 inch (6 mm) wide, white, and have 4 to 6 petals.
• Flowers cluster together on the heads of the stems to make a large white flower head, 2 to 4 inch flat cluster.
• Highlighting this perennial are spreading mats of fern-like rosettes, along with deeply divided leaves of a green or grey-green color.
• Winter hardy to zone 3.
• Spreads easily to fill available space.

Uses

• Ethnobotanic: Several tribes of the Plains region of the United States, including the Pawnee and Chippewa tribes, used common yarrow.
• Cosmetic: Used in cosmetic applications.
• Decorative: Used for decorative purposes.
• Medicinal: Used for medicinal purposes, including fever, common cold, hay fever, absence of menstruation, dysentery, diarrhea, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal (GI) tract discomfort, and to stop bleeding.
• Used as a medicine, fumigant, and insecticide.

Quirky Facts

• Yarrow was a love charm.