Herb of the Month: Yarrow (Achillea millifolium)

By Cristi Nunziata, Herbal Education Coordinator
Now is the time to experience all of the great medicinal herbs that we carry in our bulk medicinal herb section out in their natural habitats. While our bulk medicinal section is great for making teas and other preparations that allow you to experience the medicinal properties of these plants year-round, it is not quite the same as coming face to face with these great healers.One plant that you may find in the wild or growing in your garden, or purchase in the bulk section, Yarrow, is steeped in legends and rightfully so, as it is a powerfully medicinal plant.

Yarrow is rather easy to find in the wild. It grows in fields and has feathered leaves and clusters of small white flowers. It is also a beautiful garden flower. Cultivated varieties are sometimes yellow or pink, although the white variety is considered the most medicinal.

In The Book of Herbal Wisdom, Mathew Woods says, “Yarrow is widely used in folk medicine. It has a niche in the imagination of practically every culture endowed with a supply.” In China, the stalks have been used as divining sticks. Yarrow’s styptic, or blood-clotting, property has earned yarrow the names “Soldier’s Woundwort,” “Carpenter’s Weed” and “tao-pi pezu’ta,” meaning “medicine for the wounded.”

Yarrow, or Achillea, is named for the Greek hero Achilles.  According to legend, Achilles had been dipped in the river Styx to be granted immortality. Unfortunately, though, his heels, by which he was held, were left vulnerable. He bled to death after being shot in the heel by an arrow.

To use yarrow to stop bleeding, you can purchase the herb in the bulk medicinal section and grind it into a powder, using a separate coffee grinder, which will not be used for grinding coffee. It is a good idea to do this and keep it in your first aid kit in case you are unable to find it in the wild. Alternatively, you can harvest it fresh, crush it, and apply it to a wound. Because it is not only astringent but also antiseptic, it can help to prevent infection of wounds.

Think of yarrow not only for wounds, but also bleeding of hemorrhoids, nosebleeds, and excessive menstruation. Yarrow may also benefit stuck blood of bruises or delayed menses, improve circulation, and tone varicose veins. It may seem strange that yarrow can stop or move blood, but as with many tonics, it has a balancing effect.

Yarrow is also a traditional remedy for the digestive tract and a fever reducer. As a digestive tonic, its bitter property stimulates digestion and relieves gas, nausea, and diarrhea. As an anti-inflammatory it may be used for colitis and IBS. It also relieves stomach and menstrual cramps. As a folk remedy for fevers, yarrow may be combined with Elderflower and Peppermint and consumed as a hot tea.

So much can be learned by experiencing plants as they flourish in the wild. There are many helpful books to guide you along the way, such as Peterson Field Guides: Edible Wild Plants, which is available in the book section of City Market. We also will be offering several free plant identification walks this summer. Once you are sure that you have properly identified the plant, taste a piece of the leaf, sit with it and observe it, admire it, and learn from it. This will both enhance your enjoyment of outdoor activities this summer and your health as you utilize the bulk medicinal herb section throughout the year!

References:
Wood, Mathew. The Book of Herbal Wisdom. Berkeley: North Atlantic Books 1997. 65-81. Print.