Yarrow - a great herb for skinned knees

July 6, 10:01 AMLexington Gardening ExaminerBobbi Rightmyer

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Yarrow in my front flower garden

(DO NOT use any herbal or alternative medicines without consulting your physician!)

Yarrow or Achillea millefolium (common names Common Yarrow, Nosebleed plant, Old Man's Pepper, Staunchweed and Soldier's Woundwort) is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae, native to the Northern Hemisphere. Yarrow is known as herbal militaris, for its use in staunching the flow of blood from wounds. This is one of my favorite herbs because of its easy accessiblity to stop bleeding from skinned knees and other forms of bleeding. The leaves encourage clotting, so it can be used fresh for nosebleed.

Medicinal uses: The most medicinally active part of the plant are the flowering tops. The flowers, rich in chemicals, are boiled down into a dark blue essential oil. The flowers are used for various allergic mucus problems, including hay fever. Inhale the essential oil for hay fever and mild asthma. The tincture (alcholic extract) is used for urinary disorders or menstrual problems and also for cardiovascular complaints. Soak a pad in an infusion or dilute tincture to soothe varicose veins

Yarrow has historically been used as a medicine for treating allergies, hay fever, hemorrhoids and headaches, as well as having a mild stimulant effect. Yarrow can be made into chest rubs for the treatment of colds and influenza. Yarrow tea, made from the flowers and leaves, is also said to be able to clear up a cold within 24 hours. Drink an infusion of flowers for upper respiratory congestion or use externally as a wash for eczema.
 

The herb is also purported to be a diaphoretic (sweating agent), astringent (shrinks body tissue), tonic, stimulant and mild aromatic. It contains isovaleric acid (fatty acid), salicylic acid (found in aspirin, which may account for its use in treating fevers and reducing pain), bitters, tannins (good compounds found in red wine) and anticoagulants. The plant also has a long history as a powerful “healing herb” used topically for wounds, cuts and abrasions. This medicinal action is also reflected in some of the common names mentioned above, such as Staunchweed and Soldier's Woundwort.
 

Harvest: Harvest during summer and autumn while flowering.
 

Growth habit: Yarrow blooms from June to September in the eastern part of the United States. Flowers are in flat-topped clusters at the ends of the stems. The individual flowers are very small, with fine white petals and a yellowish center. Yarrows can be planted to combat soil erosion due to the plant's resistance to drought. Yarrow is a perennial, reproducing by seeds and from underground runners.
 

Yarrow is considered a companion plant, not only repelling some bad insects while attracting good, predatory ones. It attracts predatory wasps, which drink the nectar and then use insect pests as food for their larvae. Similarly, it attracts ladybugs and hoverflies. Its leaves are thought to be good fertilizer, and a beneficial additive for compost. It is also considered directly beneficial to other plants, improving the health of sick plants when grown near them. As a ground cover, yarrow is excellent for improving soil quality.
 

Eatible qualities: Yarrow has also been used as a food, and was very popular as a vegetable in the 17th century. The younger leaves are said to be a pleasant leaf vegetable when cooked as spinach, or in a soup and is said to be sweet with a slight bitter taste. I do not like yarrow leaves; I find it too bitter for my taste.
 

Trivia: The stalks of yarrow are dried and used as a randomising agent in I Ching divination.
The genus name Achillea is derived from mythical Greek character, Achilles, who reportedly carried it with his army to treat battle wounds.
 

The purple portion of the root from the white yarrow plant is a natural numbing agent when crushed. Native Americans would often chew this portion of the plant if they had painful open sores in their mouth.
 

Yarrow Skin Wash: Yarrow makes an excellent skin wash for oily complexions. Pour 2 cups of boiling water over 1 cup of crumbled dried flowering yarrow tops, cool and strain. Pat on skin. This wash also soothes chapping and other minor skin irrations.
 

To dry Yarrow flowers: Gather freshly opened flowering stalks, breaking them off at the base. Tie in bunches of three or four and hang upside down to dry, in an airy place, away from direct sunlight. When they are thoroughly dry, remove the flower clusters carefully and discard the rest of the plant. Store the flower clusters in jars with tight-fitting tops, away from the sun.
Other Uses: The plant can be burned in bonfires or in outdoor fire pits to ward off mosquitoes. The growing plant repels beetles, ants and flies. Yellow and green dyes are obtained from the flowers. A liquid plant feed can be made from the leaves by filling a milk jug or other container with the leaves and adding some water. Let mixture steep in the sun for a week or two and then dilute the smelly dark liquid in water using 1 part mixture and 10 parts water.