Botanical name: Achillea millefolium – Locally sourced – The yarrow pictured here is from my garden, where it blooms in an unusual mixture of white and pink flowers. The dried yarrow we offer is white.

Yarrow has a long history as both an internal and external household herb. The dried herb was brewed as a bitter, aromatic tea for digestive complaints and menstrual discomfort, while stronger infusions, washes and compresses were traditionally used externally for minor wounds.”

Yarrow has deep roots in Appalachian herbal practice as well. The USDA Forest Service’s A Guide to Medicinal Plants of Appalachia records yarrow as an aromatic herb traditionally valued as a diaphoretic and vulnerary, reflecting its long use both in hot herbal preparations and in tending wounds.

American Eclectic physicians also kept yarrow in their materia medica. King’s American Dispensatory described it as bitter, aromatic and astringent and preserved older European uses, including Scottish Highland preparations for wounds.         4 oz. — $9.25

Safety: Yarrow belongs to the Asteraceae family and may cause reactions in people sensitive to plants in that family. Traditional medicinal use during pregnancy is generally avoided unless advised by a qualified practitioner.

Sources & Further Reading

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Plants of the World Online: Achillea millefolium L. – European Medicines Agency. European Union Herbal Monograph on Achillea millefolium L., herba. Krochmal, Arnold; Russell S. Walters; Richard M. Doughty. A Guide to Medicinal Plants of Appalachia. U.S. Forest Service. – Felter, Harvey Wickes & John Uri Lloyd. King’s American Dispensatory, 1898 — Achillea/Yarrow.  Felter, Harvey Wickes. The Eclectic Materia Medica, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 1922. -Thiselton-Dyer, T. F. The Folk-Lore of Plants, 1889.