Achillea sordida(W.D.J.Koch) Dalla Torre & Sarnth.
Achillea subalpinaGreene
Achillea submillefoliumKlokov & Krytzka
Achillea sylvaticaBecker
Achillea tanacetifoliaMill.
Achillea tenuifoliaSalisb.
Achillea tenuisSchur
Achillea tomentosaPursh 1813 not L. 1753
Achillea virgataHort. ex DC.
Achillios millefoliatusSt.-Lag.
Alitubus millefolium(L.) Dulac
Alitubus tomentosusDulac
Chamaemelum millefolium(L.) E.H.L.Krause
Chamaemelum tanacetifolium(All.) E.H.L.Krause
Chamaemelum tomentosum(L.) E.H.L.Krause
plus many more names for subspecies, forms, and varieties
Achillea sp.Achillea sp. in a heart shaped form
Achillea millefolium, commonly known asyarrow (/ˈjæroʊ/) orcommon yarrow, is aflowering plant in the familyAsteraceae. Growing to 1 metre (3+1⁄2 feet) tall, it is characterized by small whitish flowers, a tall stem of fernlike leaves, and a pungent odor.
Achillea millefolium is an erect,herbaceous,perennial plant that produces one to several stems 0.2–1 metre (8–40 inches) in height, and has a spreadingrhizomatous growth form.Cauline and more or less clasping,[3] theleaves appear spirally and evenly along the stem, with the largest and mostpetiolate towards the base;[4] they are 5–20 centimetres (2–8 in) long andfernlike, dividedbipinnately or tripinnately.
Theinflorescence has 4 to 9phyllaries and contains ray and disk flowers which are white to pink, blooming from March to October.[5] There are generally 3 to 8 ray flowers, which are3 millimetres (1⁄8 in) long[5] and ovate to round. The tiny disk flowers range from 10 to 40.[5] The inflorescence is produced in a flat-toppedcapitulum cluster and the inflorescences are visited by many insect species, and has a generalizedpollination system.[6] The smallachene-like fruits are called cypsela.[3]
The plant has a distinct spicy scent that persists when dried[7] and may be irritating to some.[5]
Chamazulene andδ-Cadinol are chemical compounds found inA. millefolium. The chromophore ofazulene was discovered in yarrow and wormwood and named in 1863 bySeptimus Piesse.
The genus nameAchillea is derived frommythical Greek characterAchilles, who by legend, carried it with his army to treat battle wounds.[18] Thespecific epithetmillefolium comes from the featherlike leaves which are minutely divided.[18]
The plant grows from sea level to 3,500 m (11,500 ft) in elevation. Common yarrow is frequently found in the mildly disturbed soil of grasslands and open forests. Active growth occurs in the spring.[7][3]
In North America, both native and introduced genotypes, and bothdiploid andpolyploid plants are found.[19] It is found in every habitat throughout California except the Colorado andMojave Deserts.[20][21] Common yarrow produces an average yield of 110,000 plants per hectare (43,000/acre), with a total dry weight of 11,800 kg/ha (10,500 pounds per acre).[22]
It has been introduced as a feed for livestock inNew Zealand[23] andAustralia, where it is a common weed of both wet and dry areas, such as roadsides, meadows, fields and coastal places.[23]
Several cavity-nesting birds, including thecommon starling, use yarrow to line their nests. Experiments conducted on thetree swallow, which does not use yarrow, suggest that adding yarrow to nests inhibits the growth ofparasites.[24]
Achillea millefolium is a food source for many species of insects, including the larvae of a number ofmoths,[25] although is not particularly attractive toladybirds.[26]
Forpropagation, seeds require light for germination, so optimal germination occurs when planted no deeper than6 mm (1⁄4 in). Seeds also require a germination temperature of 18–24 °C (64–75 °F). It has a relatively short life in some situations, but may be prolonged by division in the spring every other year, and planting 30 to 46 cm (12–18 in) apart. It can becomeinvasive.[31]
The species use in traditional gardens has generally been superseded bycultivars with specific 'improved' qualities.[32] Some are used as drought-tolerantlawns, with periodic mowing.[33][34][35][36] The many different ornamental cultivars include: 'Paprika',[37] 'Cerise Queen', 'Red Beauty',[38] 'Red Velvet',[39] 'Saucy Seduction', 'Strawberry Seduction' (red), 'Island Pink' (pink),[40] 'Calistoga' (white),[41] and 'Sonoma Coast' (white).[42] The following are recipients of theRoyal Horticultural Society'sAward of Garden Merit:
The many hybrids of this species designatedAchillea ×taygetea are useful garden subjects,[47] including: 'Appleblossom', 'Fanal', 'Hoffnung', and 'Moonshine'.[48]
A. millefolium was used intraditional medicine, in part due to itsastringent properties and the mildlaxative effect of its leaves.[52][53] It was used in ancient times to heal wounds and stop bleeding, and in the16th century, the crushed leaves were used to stop nosebleeds.[54]
North American varieties were traditionally used by manyNative American nations.[55] TheNavajo considered it a "life medicine" and chewed the plant for toothaches and used its infusions for earaches. TheMiwok in California used the plant as ananalgesic andhead cold remedy.[55] Native American nations used the plant for healing cuts and abrasions, relief from earaches and throat infections, as well as for aneyewash.[56] Yarrow was used byPlains indigenous peoples to reduce pain or fever and aid sleep.[55] SomeOjibwe people used adecoction of yarrow leaves on hot stones and inhaled it to treatheadaches,[57] or applied decoctions of the root onto skin for its stimulating effect.[58]
The entire plant is reportedly edible and nutritious, but it is advised not to consume much.[59] The foliage is pungent; both its leaves and flowers are bitter and astringent.[52] The leaves can be eaten young; raw, they can be added to salad.[59] The leaves, with ananiseed-grass flavor, can be brewed as tea.[60]
In theMiddle Ages, yarrow was part of aherbal mixture known asgruit used in the flavoring ofbeer prior to the use ofhops.[61] However, medieval Dutch and German city accounts from the gruit area do not mention yarrow.[62] It is noted by the Swedish biologistLinnaeus that theDalecarnians infused the herb in beer.[63] The flowers and leaves are still used in making someliquors andbitters.[7]
A. millefolium can be planted to combat soilerosion due to the plant'sresistance to drought. Before the arrival of monocultures of ryegrass, both grass and pasture containedA. millefolium at a density of about 0.3 kg/ha.[citation needed] One factor for its use in grass mixtures was its deep roots, with leaves rich in minerals, minimizing mineral deficiencies in ruminant feed. It was introduced intoNew Zealand as a drought-tolerant pasture.[23]
Yarrow can be used for dying wool; depending on themordant, the color may be green to yellow.[65]
Inantiquity, the plant was known asherba militaris for its use in stanching the flow of blood from wounds.[68] In theClassical Greek epicIliad,Homer tells of the centaurChiron, who conveyed herbal secrets to his human pupils and taught Achilles to use yarrow on thebattlegrounds of Troy.[69] The genus nameAchillea is inspired by the alleged use of the herb by Achilles to treat his soldiers' wounds.[54] Other names implying the plant's historical use in healing—particularly in the military—includebloodwort,knight's milfoil,staunchweed, and, from its use in theUnited States Civil War,soldier's woundwort.[18] Its use in either starting or stopping nosebleeds led to the common namenosebleed.[52][70]
The English nameyarrow comes from its Saxon (Old English) namegearwe, which is related to both the Dutch wordgerw (alternatelyyerw)[52] and the Old High German wordgarawa.[71] In the eastern counties[clarification needed] it may be calledyarroway.[52] It was calledold man's pepper due to its pungent flavor, while the namefield hop came from its use in beer making in Sweden.[52]
In theHebrides, a leaf held against the eyes was sometimes believed to givesecond sight.[72] In thewitchcraft trial ofElspeth Reoch in March 1616, she was alleged to have plucked "melefour", thought to be another name for yarrow, and said "In nomine Patris, Fiili, et Spiritus Sancti" to become able to cure distemper (disorders of thefour humours) and impart the faculty of prediction.[70] For its association with theAbrahamicdevil it was calledbad man's plaything,devil's nettle, anddevil's plaything.[52] Yarrow was thought to bring luck due to being, according to one woman cited byJames Britten (c. 1878), "the first herb our Saviour put in His hand when a child".[70] This is apparently a corruption of the Achilles myth[73] in whichJesus uses the plant to heal his adoptive father. For this reason, in France, it was calledherbe deSt. Joseph, and it has also been calledcarpenter's weed in this regard.[73][52]
Various other common names includearrowroot,death flower,eerie,hundred-leaved grass,knyghten,old man's mustard,sanguinary,[52]seven-year's love,snake's grass, andsoldier. The namesmilfoil andthousand leaf come refer to the minutely divided leaves.[18] InSpanish, it is known asgordaldo and, inNew Mexico and southernColorado,plumajillo (Spanish for 'little feather').
InSussex andDevonshire superstition, yarrow was used for finding one's real sweetheart. One would pluck yarrow growing on a young man's grave while reciting:
Yarrow, sweet yarrow, the first that I have found, in the name of Jesus Christ, I pluck it from the ground; As Joseph loved sweetMary, and took her for his dear, so in a dream this night, I hope, my true love will appear.
and go to sleep with the yarrow under the pillow.[70]
In a similar tradition inWicklow, girls would pick yarrow onHallow Eve and recite:
Thou pretty herb ofVenus' tree, Thy true name is yarrow; Now who my bosom friend may be, Pray tell thou me to-morrow.
then retire for the night without speaking and go to sleep with an ounce of yarrow sewn in flannel under the pillow.[70]
InSuffolk a leaf was placed in the nose so it would bleed, while reciting
Green 'arrow, green 'arrow, you bears a white blow, If my love love me, my nose will bleed now; If my love don't love me, it 'on't bleed a drop, If my love do love me, 'twill bleed every drop.[70]
InDublin on May Day or the night before, women would place a stocking full of yarrow under their pillow and recite:
Good morrow, good yarrow, good morrow to thee, I hope by the yarrow my lover to see; And that he may be married to me. The colour of his hair and the clothes he does wear, And if he be for me may his face be turned to me, And if he be not, dark and surely may he be, And his back be turned toward me.[70]
^Taylor, Ronald J. (1994) [1992].Sagebrush Country: A Wildflower Sanctuary (rev. ed.). Missoula, MT: Mountain Press Pub. Co. p. 158.ISBN0-87842-280-3.OCLC25708726.
^Shutler D, Campbell AA (2007). "Experimental addition of greenery reduces flea loads in nests of a non-greenery using species, the tree swallow Tachycineta bicolor".Journal of Avian Biology.38 (1):7–12.doi:10.1111/j.2007.0908-8857.04015.x.
^Lafontaine, J. D., 2004. Noctuoidea, Noctuidae (part): Noctuinae, Agrotini in Hodges, R. W., ed.,The Moths of North America, fasc. 27.1
^Faran, Mina; Tcherni, Anna (1997).Medicinal herbs in Modern Medicine (ṣimḥei marpé bir'fū'ah ha-modernīt) (in Hebrew). Vol. 1. Jerusalem: Akademon (Hebrew University of Jerusalem). p. 242.ISBN965-350-068-6.OCLC233179155., s.v.Achillea millefolium
^Densmore, Frances, 1928, Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians, SI-BAE Annual Report #44:273–379, page 336
^Densmore, Frances, 1928, Uses of Plants by the Chippewa Indians, SI-BAE Annual Report #44:273–379, p. 350
^Benoliel, Doug (2011).Northwest Foraging: The Classic Guide to Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest (Rev. and updated ed.). Seattle, WA: Skipstone. p. 179.ISBN978-1-59485-366-1.OCLC668195076.
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