Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

This is the small white-flowered yarrow that grows wild in meadows here is the mid-Atlantic & northeast. Yarrow is an incredibly important plant in folk medicine. It is best known for its ability to stop bleeding quickly — a good thing to know when you are working in a meadow & cut yourself! I learned from Matthew Wood that yarrow is specifically helpful for healing deep cuts “from the inside” rather than healing the surface skin first.

Yarrow is good in formulas for treating colds, menstrual cramps and flooding. I often carry yarrow with me for courage & protection.

Yarrow received its Latin name Achillea from the legendary Greek hero Achilles. According to the common legend, Achilles’s mother dipped him into the river Styx by the ankle in an effort to make him invulnerable. Fighting many battles as a seemingly invincible warrior, Achilles used yarrow to treat the wounds of his fellow soldiers. He later died from a wound to his heel, as it was his one unprotected part.

1 oz bag