Achilles’ mother dipped him by the heel into yarrow-laced water when he was just a baby to protect him from being wounded. That’s how the plant got its Latin name, achillia millefolium. In China, yarrow is said to grow around Confucius’ grave. It has been used in a plethora of cultures’ medicine-making for centuries. Its robust nature makes it able to adapt widely to many diverse and contrasting environments, from all across North America to Europe, Asia, and more. Yarrow is pretty much everywhere. Despite being prolific, it does not cause ecosystem destruction in the ways that some rhizome-spreading plants can. Yarrow is food for many life-forms and medicine for others. In addition to providing medicine for us, its nectar and pollen attract a host of beneficial pollinators and insects.
Yarrow is an herbaceous, wooly perennial in the Asteraceae (daisy) family. It has a preference for growing in well-draining soils in full-sun, open prairies and grasslands, but you will find it growing along roadsides, on cliffsides, and even in deserts. Yarrow’s perennial root system and outward-spreading rhizomes make it adaptable even in the most intolerable conditions. I’ve seen it thriving, growing out of rocks on hikes in the dry, hot western US. It grows on our gravel driveway but also in the lush fields behind our house. In situations where not much else will grow, you can probably find yarrow there, much like her friend mullein. In less than ideal growing environments, yarrow is a plant that prevents soil erosion with its extensive root system.
Yarrow in the Garden
If you don’t have access to safe foraging sites for yarrow, you may choose to grow it in your garden. It is a gorgeous addition, especially to a cottage-style, wildflower, or butterfly garden. Yarrow spreads through rhizomes, so some consider it weedy. However, it is very easy to divide and is not considered invasive. You can also control its spread by deadheading the flowers before they produce seeds.
There are several different color varieties of yarrow that are cultivated for gardens, but you should stick with white yarrow for medicinal purposes because there isn’t much evidence that the medicinal properties are consistent throughout all the different varieties. Yarrow thrives in full sun. It tolerates just about any soil type. I have seen it growing between rocks in the desert, so you can be sure of its hardiness. Yarrow grows wild in our fields and in my own garden, proof that it will also do well with nutritious soil. It may struggle with root rot if its soil is kept consistently moist, however. You can grow yarrow from seeds by broadcasting them across the soil, but don’t cover them because they need sunlight to germinate. They take quite a while to germinate, usually two weeks to a month. Sow the seeds outside in late fall or early spring and don’t fuss with them, then reap the benefits of a gorgeous, medicinal plant for years to come.
Foraging Wild Yarrow & Avoiding its Look-Alikes
A stunning, drought tolerant, pollinator-attracting, non-invasive, medicinal plant is a plant you should know. So, how do you confidently identify yarrow in the wild? Although it has a couple of noxious look-alikes, there are a few unique features of yarrow that set it apart. When you familiarize yourself with these key features, you can spot yarrow effortlessly. Most notably, it has feathery, fern-like leaves that begin to grow during winter in a rosette at the base. These delicate leaves are much longer than they are wide, growing to be from 6 to 8 inches long and only about half an inch to an inch wide at most. In the spring, it shoots up long, study stems which are slightly grooved and have thin little wooly hairs. The leaves are positioned alternately on the stem in the plant’s mature form. Yarrow’s leaves have a piney scent if you rub them between your fingers. In its mature form, yarrow stands about two to three feet tall.
Yarrow’s poisonous look-alikes actually have strikingly different leaves than yarrow. For example, poison hemlock, which can give you severe burns just from touching it, has leaves that are distinctly toothed and much larger in size. This is often the case with yarrow’s look-alikes. Do not ever attempt to harvest this plant. Not only can it cause severe skin irritation, it can also cause respiratory distress and increased heart rate. Fortunately, its purple splotched stem are a dead giveaway.
Like their leaves, yarrow’s flowers are also quite unique. Yarrow and its poisonous look-alikes all have tiny, white flowers in clusters, but if you know what to look for, it’s easy to tell them apart. Yarrow flowers are clustered very closely together at the end of each stem, whereas its look-alikes are umbellifers, which have tiny white flowers shooting out in smaller clusters. Each individual flower is only about ¼” in diameter and has 5 white or off-white petals surrounding a yellow-white center.
I’ve mentioned poison hemlock as a highly toxic look-alike to yarrow. Cow parsnip, or hogweed, is another example. Like poison hemlock, cow parsnip/hogweed can cause burns. Its leaves are quite unique, and it can grow up to 14 feet tall!
Yarrow’s non-toxic look-alike is Queen Anne’s Lace, another medicinal white flower. Though Queen Anne’s Lace is medicinal, it should not be mistaken for yarrow since they have very different properties and applications.
Harvesting Yarrow
All parts of yarrow can be used, but most people harvest its leaves and flowers. It’s ideal to harvest yarrow in spring, soon after the flowers have bloomed. Though it is most potent when fresh, you can dry and store it for later use. Dry yarrow either by hanging it upside down with string, or on an herb drying rack (these are pretty simple to make yourself if you’re resourceful). In warm climates, flowers will emerge in spring and will continue to bloom all summer and even into fall.
As with anything you forage, please make sure the plant material you harvest has not been sprayed with chemicals like herbicides, pesticides, or insecticides.
Yarrow as Medicine
Yarrow has many qualities that make it a valuable herbal medicine. Not only can it be used as a poultice for external wounds and abrasions, it can also be used internally to help support the gastrointestinal system, kidneys, and the endocrine system. Indigenous people in North America have traditionally used yarrow as medicine, as have many other peoples and cultures. In the tradition of Chinese medicine, yarrow is used to reduce inflammation, heal wounds, and stop bleeding. Yarrow’s properties also aid with reducing muscle spasms, fevers, menstrual pain, and can be a diuretic.
A poultice used to soothe and aid in the healing of burns, cuts, or abrasions, can be made from yarrow by harvesting yarrow leaves. Crush or tear the leaves into small pieces, preferably using a mortar and pestle if you have it and soak them in water. Spread the paste-like herb mixture over a piece of muslin about twice the size of the wound or abrasion, and fold it in half. In a pinch, you can also wet the leaves and place them directly on the skin. Another way to harness yarrow’s skin-soothing properties would be to make it into a salve, a simple solution made with herb infused oil and beeswax.
Yarrow can be added to a tea blend to support increasing blood flow within the body, reduce inflammation, lower fever, soothe indigestion, or to help soothe menstrual cramps. The flavor profile of this herb is quite bitter and earthy with a subtle sweetness. Since it is a bitter herb, I highly recommend blending it with sweeter herbs, like this one from Mountain Rose Herbs, which combines yarrow with rosemary, oatstraw, lemon balm, nettle, and ginger.
Creating a tincture using yarrow is a good option if you want a quick and easy way to take a concentrated amount of the herb, especially if you don’t like its flavor. The Herbal Academy has a simple and reliable recipe for a yarrow tincture that only requires two ingredients: vodka and dried yarrow.
Yarrow’s tenacity and versatility as plant medicine has upheld its relevance throughout time in many different cultures. It grows all over the world, making it easily accessible for harvesting. It’s a great addition to your cottage garden or wildflower garden to attract pollinators and prevent soil erosion. Whether brewed into a tea, infused into oils, or applied topically, yarrow remains a potent ally for assisting with many ailments. Learning about its medicinal value honors tradition and connects us with the natural world, which is why I love diving into herbal medicine. In writing about this plant, I hope to show you its physical beauty and practical uses, of course, but I also hope to emphasize its place in a balanced ecosystem in which it supports wildlife, other plants, and us.