This beautiful herb is known for its ability to influence blood, heal urinary issues, and protect your energy. It's also great for reducing fevers, supporting digestion, and relaxing spasmed muscles. All this, and it's also a tough-as-nails groundcover that can be mowed as a lawn or allowed to flower and create beauty in your landscape. It's also a lovely flower for bouquets. You'll have a whole lot less sorrow if you grow this beautiful yarrow. (Achillea millefolium)
Why We Love It
Here are some of the reasons why we love Yarrow...
1) POWERFUL BLOOD TONIC - One of yarrow's super powers is that is influences blood. It has the ability to powerfully stop bleeding wounds. On the other hand, it also has the ability to move stagnant blood. For this reason, it makes a great styptic powder to stop bleeding, and when taken internally, can help with stagnant or irregular menses.
2) FEVER REDUCER- The flowers of yarrow can be used in a tea or a tincture to help you sweat out a fever. They are often combined with peppermint and elderflowers.
3) ENERGY PROTECTOR - Yarrow is known as an astringent. This is helpful for urinary issues, but also helps to astringe and tighten your energetic boundaries. We use it when we feel that our energy can use protection from overwhelm or negative situations.
How to Grow It
Here's how to grow Yarrow:
| SUN | FULL SUN |
| MOISTURE | VERY DROUGHT TOLERANT ONCE ESTABLISHED |
| GROWING ZONES | USDA 4-10 (Not sure? Find your growing zone here) |
| SIZE | 18" TALL & WIDE |
| GROWING |
FROM SEED: INDOOR: Sow 8-10 weeks before last frost on surface of soil, tamp, and keep moist until germination, in approx 8-14 days. Best to bottom water or mist to not disturb seeds. Needs light to germinate. Grow until has few strong true leaves, harden off and transplant outside once chance of frost has passed. Plant at 2ft spacing between centers. Drought-tolerant once established and grows in poor soils. Winter Sowing is the easiest way to start these seeds. With this method, you can start them any time after December 21st and they don't require any indoor space or lighting. Here's a Winter Sowing seed-starting tutorial for you. You won't believe how easy it is! |
How to Harvest & Use It
HARVEST: Harvest yarrow flowers when the center of the dainty white flowers are still yellow.
One of the easiest and most useful ways to use yarrow, is to make a first-aid styptic powder to control bleeding. We keep some in our pantries and first-aid kits in case of a cut. Here's a recipe:
- Harvest a bunch of stalks of yarrow (without the flowers).
- Strip off the leaves.
- Dry fully by hanging or putting in the dehydrator.
- Grind to a fine powder in a coffee grinder or blender.
- Put into small glass vials or jars and use directly on wounds to control bleeding.
Here's a beautiful video by Rosemary Gladstar about the amazing uses for yarrow: