Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is one of the oldest medicinal herbs known to humanity — its name refers to Achilles, who used it on the battlefield to staunch wounds. It is a powerful wound healer, blood mover, fever herb, and digestive bitter. It is also fiercely easy to grow: once established, yarrow is essentially indestructible. It spreads, self-sows, tolerates drought, and returns each spring stronger than the year before.
Method
- Direct sow yarrow seeds in early spring or late fall. Like many medicinal herbs, yarrow benefits from cold stratification and often germinates better from a fall sowing than a spring one.
- Plant in full sun in well-drained, even poor soil. Rich soil produces lush green growth but reduces the potency of the volatile oils. Yarrow thrives on neglect.
- Thin or transplant to 12–18 inches apart. Yarrow spreads by rhizomes and self-sows freely — give it room or it will claim more on its own.
- Harvest leaves at any time during the growing season for fresh wound care and teas. Harvest flower heads when they are freshly open and fully colored — this is when the medicinal compounds are highest.
- Dry in small bunches hung upside down in a warm, dark space. Yarrow dries beautifully and holds its color and scent well.
- Cut plants back to the ground after the first frost. Divide clumps every 3 years in spring to prevent woody centers.
Tips & Notes
- Yarrow is one of the best first-aid herbs you can have growing. A clean fresh leaf pressed onto a minor cut will slow bleeding quickly — this is its oldest use.
- Yarrow tea at the onset of a fever helps the body do its work — it opens the pores, promotes sweating, and supports the fever's own healing process. Do not take it if you want to suppress the fever artificially.
- White-flowered yarrow is the most medicinally potent. Colorful ornamental varieties are still useful but slightly less strong.
- A yarrow border is a beneficial companion for the whole garden. It attracts predatory insects that control aphids and other pests.
#yarrow#wound healing#fever herb#anti-inflammatory#first aid#herbs
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