Yarrow by Wanderer MoonChild

Botanical Basics

1. Common Name(s): Yarrow
2. Folk Name(s): Soldier’s Woundwort, Knight’s Milfoil, Carpenter’s Weed, Nosebleed Plant, Thousand-leaf, Arrowroot, Devil’s Nettle
3. Scientific/Latin Name: Achillea millefolium
4. Family: Asteraceae (Daisy family)
5. Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial
6. Botanical Description: Upright stems 1–3 ft tall, with feathery, fernlike leaves that are finely divided (“millefolium” = thousand leaves). Flat-topped clusters of small white, pink, or yellow composite flowers bloom summer to early fall. Aromatic, bitter herb with creeping rhizomes.
7. Growing Zones/Climate: USDA Zones 3–9
8. Best Zones for Growth: Temperate regions; highly adaptable, drought-tolerant once established
9. Habitat & Range: Native to Europe and Asia; naturalized in North America and many temperate regions worldwide; grows in meadows, grasslands, roadsides, and disturbed soils

Cultivation & Harvest

1. Soil & Sun Requirements: Prefers well-drained soil; tolerates poor, sandy, or rocky soils; thrives in full sun but tolerates light shade
2. Propagation: By seed, division of roots, or cuttings; self-seeds easily
3. Companion Planting: Attracts beneficial insects (ladybugs, predatory wasps); companion for herbs and vegetables as a pollinator draw and pest deterrent
4. Harvesting Guidelines: Leaves and flowers gathered at peak bloom in summer; roots sometimes used in autumn
5. Drying/Preservation: Air-dry leaves and flowers in shade; store airtight for teas, tinctures, and magical use

Traditional & Historical Use

1. Cultural Significance: Named after Achilles, who used yarrow to treat soldiers’ wounds in Greek legend. Used in battlefield medicine for centuries. Also a divination tool in the I Ching (yarrow stalk method).
2. Traditional Medicine: Used as a wound healer, styptic (to stop bleeding), digestive bitter, fever reducer, and women’s herb (to regulate menstruation).
3. Symbolism: Represents healing, protection, divination, and courage.

Medicinal & Practical Properties

1. Active Constituents: Volatile oils (chamazulene, cineole), flavonoids, sesquiterpene lactones, tannins, alkaloids (achilleine), bitters
2. Medicinal Uses:
   
3. Wound healing and blood clotting
4. Reduces fever and colds (diaphoretic)
5. Digestive aid for bloating, indigestion
6. Menstrual regulator and cramp reliever
7. Anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial
   
8. Preparation Methods: Infusions (tea), tinctures, poultices, compresses, essential oil, herbal baths
9. Dosage & Guidelines:
   
10. Tea: 1–2 tsp dried herb per cup, 2–3 times daily
11. Tincture: 2–4 mL up to 3 times daily
12. Poultice/compress: Fresh leaves crushed and applied to wounds
    
13. Safety/Precautions: May cause allergic reactions in those sensitive to Asteraceae family. Avoid use during pregnancy (uterine stimulant). Essential oil is potent and should be diluted.

Magical & Spiritual Properties

1. Elemental Association: Air (also sometimes Water in healing and dream magic)
2. Planetary/Deity Correspondence: Venus (love and protection), linked to Aphrodite, Achilles, and Northern European healing deities
3. Magical Correspondences: Protection, healing, love, courage, divination, psychic development
4. Ritual Use: Hung in homes for protection; added to sachets and charms for courage and love; brewed for divinatory dreams; yarrow stalks traditionally used for casting the I Ching
5. Symbolism in Divination/Dreams: Suggests healing, courage, or clarity in decision-making; may point to hidden truths being revealed

Ecological & Culinary Uses

1. Pollinator Value: Excellent nectar and pollen source for bees, butterflies, and beneficial insects
2. Wildlife Uses: Provides habitat for predatory insects that protect nearby crops; foliage grazed by deer in the wild
3. Culinary Uses: Leaves and flowers used sparingly in salads, soups, or as a bitter flavoring; occasionally brewed into herbal beers and liqueurs

Household/Practical Uses

1. Quick Uses: Styptic for wounds, protective charm herb, insect repellent (burned or infused in oil), fever tea
2. Notable Traits: Legendary “soldier’s herb” for wounds; one of the oldest known healing herbs in Europe and Asia
3. Special Notes: A true multi-purpose herb bridging medicine, magic, and divination — from battlefield poultices to sacred oracles

Supporting Notes

1. Grieve, M. A Modern Herbal (1931)
2. Chevallier, Andrew. Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine (2016)
3. Rätsch, Christian. Encyclopedia of Herbs and Spices (2005)
4. Duke, James A. Handbook of Medicinal Herbs (2002)
5. Foster, Steven & Duke, James. Peterson Field Guide to Medicinal Plants and Herbs