Indoor Herb Garden Kits and Herbal Remedies

Yarrow Varieties

As promised, part 2 of the yarrow article. I hope you enjoy it and thanks for all the good feedback on part 1.

Yarrow
Achillea millefolium

Other names
Millefolium, milfoil, thousand-leaf, gordoloba, thousand- leaf clover, green arrow, soldiers’ woundwort, nosebleed, dog daisy, bloodwort, sanguinary, carpenter grass, old-mans pepper, cammock and achillia.

Appearance
A perennial natural herbal remedy with a creeping rhizome and vertical, furrowed and downy stems. The dark-green basal and stem foliage are lanceolate and nicely dispersed (2-3 times pinnate). The compact flowerheads are clustered in substantial, flat corymbs. The flowers are milky white or sometimes pinkish; the disc-florets whitish. The fruit, an achene, is compressed and to some degree winged. All sections of the herb have a typical robust aroma.

The non-woody portions of the flowering stems, in some cases solely the flowers, unencumbered with stalks, are utilized medicinally.

History
Yarrow was one amongst the herbs reserved for the devil – or the Evil One – in previous days, being sometimes known as Devil’s Nettle, Devil’s Plaything, Bad Man’s Plaything, and was utilised in spells for divination.

Yarrow is a perennial herb, commonplace almost everywhere in Europe, Asia, North America and almost every other nations all over the world in hedgerows and fields as well as on dried banks and roadsides. The plant’s therapeutic characteristics were known to the classical Greeks who called Yarrow Achillea after Achilles, the exalted warrior: known to have had his wounds treated with yarrow.

The exact title mittefolium (‘thousand leaf’) pertains to the plant’s many feathery leaves. The familiar name Yarrow is derived from the Anglo-Saxon expression gearwe – the original significance of which is lost in the mists of time

Usage
An aromatic, bitter, astringent, choleretic and anti-bacterial natural herbal remedy; it’s antispasmodic behaviors have been used to help reduce swelling, contribute to sweating and alleviate indigestion. It works like a diuretic, lessening hypertension, comforting spasms and arresting hemorrhage.
The complete plant, in addition to the essential oil extract, can be used. The major part is an essential oil with azulenes. that go blue after distillation. The plant also includes the alkaloids achilleine and stychydrine, tannins and bitter substances.

These substances give Yarrow diaphoretic, germ killing, stomachic, astringent and antispasmodic qualities that have a range of functions both internally and externally. Herbal and natural specialists apply an infusion for digestive upsets, diarrhoea, flatulence, menstrual disorders, colds and fevers.
Prudence is recommended as substantial or continuous doses used over a long period could cause the skin to be more vulnerable to rays from the sun. It is truly one of the primary natural herbal remedies.

There are so many facets to yarrow, that this has become my longest post ever. I am splitting this in half and will post more usage and growth sections tomorrow. Until then.