Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Plant family: Asteraceae

Yarrow in the Garden Ecosystem

This beautiful Central Texas perennial with fern-like, "million-leaved" fronds is a great plant to incorporate into the garden ecosystem. It is deer resistant and serves a variety of functions in the landscape. Yarrow attracts pollinators, forms dense clumps that block weeds, holds moisture, protects the soil, and its strongly-scented foliage repels pests. It's also known to be a dynamic accumulator, drawing up minerals from deep in the soil and making them more readily available to the plants around it. And it shoots up beautiful flowers in the spring that attract pollinators.

Working with Yarrow for First Aid

Yarrow is an extremely helpful first aid plant. For immediate use topically, fresh yarrow leaves can be mashed into a poultice to stop bleeding, calm inflammation, and help with the healing of scrapes, cuts, and rashes. And yarrow's antimicrobial properties can help reduce the risk of infection.

Yarrow can also be infused fresh in water for a wound wash, alcohol for a linament, dried and made into a wound powder, or dried and infused in oil. Our yarrow-infused oil is a main ingredient in the soothing salve that we make.

The best time to harvest yarrow is when it is in full flower and all the energy is upward. While there are other colors of yarrow blooms like yellow, pink, and red, white yarrow is favored medicinally.

Spiritually, yarrow is known as a protector plant - one that helps with setting healthy boundaries and protecting from other people's energy. We like including yarrow in our homegrown herb bundles and wreaths.