🌼 Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Family:
Asteraceae (Daisy Family)
Also Known As:
Common Yarrow • Milfoil • Soldier’s Woundwort • Bloodwort
Relationship
🏔️ Wild Gathered
🤝 Thoughtfully Sourced
🌎 Always Studying
Meet the Plant
Yarrow is one of the oldest and most beloved herbs in traditional herbalism.
Its finely divided leaves gave rise to the species name millefolium,
meaning “a thousand leaves.”
Throughout summer,
sturdy stems hold broad clusters of tiny flowers
that seem to invite every bee and butterfly in the garden.
Its botanical name,
Achillea,
honors the legendary Greek hero Achilles,
who was said to carry yarrow to care for wounded soldiers.
Across Europe,
Asia,
and North America,
generations have treasured this resilient wildflower as both a healing herb
and a faithful companion of meadows and mountain trails.
Parts Traditionally Used
🌼 Flowering Tops
The flowering tops are the most commonly harvested part of the yarrow plant.
Traditional preparations may include:
🌼 Flowers
🍃 Leaves
🌿 Tender upper stems
These are traditionally gathered while the plant is in full bloom,
when its naturally occurring aromatic oils are at their richest.
Traditional Herbal Uses
Yarrow has earned a respected place in herbal traditions around the world.
Traditionally it has been used to support minor cuts and scrapes,
healthy circulation,
comfortable digestion,
seasonal wellness,
healthy skin,
and everyday first-aid preparations.
Its naturally occurring flavonoids,
sesquiterpene lactones,
and aromatic oils continue to be studied for their antioxidant,
antimicrobial,
and anti-inflammatory properties.
A Friend to the Garden
Yarrow is one of the hardest-working plants you can grow.
Its flowers welcome:
🦋 Butterflies
🐝 Honeybees
🌼 Native pollinators
🪲 Beneficial insects
Its deep roots help improve soil structure,
while its long flowering season provides valuable nectar long after many other flowers
have finished blooming.
A Few Considerations
Yarrow has a long history of traditional herbal use,
and thoughtful preparation is always encouraged.
Individuals who are sensitive to members of the daisy family (Asteraceae),
including ragweed,
daisies,
and chrysanthemums,
may also be sensitive to yarrow.
Because yarrow has traditionally been associated with stimulating circulation
and menstruation,
concentrated preparations are generally avoided during pregnancy.
Although herbal practitioners sometimes prepare yarrow for animals,
the fresh plant is listed by the ASPCA as toxic to dogs,
cats,
and horses if consumed in significant amounts.
It is best to prevent pets from grazing on the plant
and to consult a veterinarian before using yarrow preparations with animals.
In My Apothecary
You may find yarrow featured in:
🌿 Botanical Tea Blends
🌿 Botanical Oils
🌿 Herbal Salves
🌿 Seasonal Botanical Preparations
🌿 First-Aid Botanical Formulations
Harvest & Preparation
Yarrow is traditionally harvested just as the flowers fully open,
on a dry morning after the dew has lifted.
The flowering tops may be gently dried for teas,
infused into oils,
prepared as botanical extracts,
or incorporated into salves and other traditional herbal preparations.
Keeper’s Notes
Yarrow has always felt like the trail companion.
It doesn’t ask for rich soil or perfect conditions.
You’ll find it growing along mountain paths,
open meadows,
forgotten roadsides,
and places where life asks us to be resilient.
Its flowers remind me that strength and gentleness are not opposites.
One helps protect.
The other helps heal.
Perhaps that’s why yarrow has stayed close to humanity for thousands of years.
Continue Wandering…
Back to 🌿 The Herbarium
5K High Altitude Apothecary 