Spotlight on Local Medicinal Herbs—Yarrow

One of the many gifts of our summer season is the abundance of Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), a plant which grows almost everywhere, and has a plethora of medicinal uses.

Yarrow is considered to be imbued with the warrior’s spirit, evidenced in its name (“Achillea”=Achilles, the famed Greek hero of the Trojnn War).  Like a true warrior, this plant assists with assimilation of strength, providing fortitude to many of the body’s organ systems.

A perennial which grows best in depleted soil and in sunny locations, Yarrow can be found near beaches and roadsides, and in pastures and meadows.  It has feathery leaves, and its stalk is topped with clusters of many small white or pinkish-white flowers (millefolium=“thousand-leaved”).

This plant has cooling and drying actions, with a bitter, aromatic, pungent, and astringent taste profile.  It has been used traditionally as a bitter tonic, antiseptic, antifungal, styptic (stops bleeding), diaphoretic (induces sweating), anti-inflammatory, pain-reliever, and anticoagulant.  It is especially useful in situations where a person has a fever with hot, dry skin and restlessness.  Yarrow can assist the body in breaking the fever by sweating.  In situations where there is hemorrhaging (such as too-profuse menstruation, or a cut that won’t stop bleeding), Yarrow can be taken internally as a tea or tincture, or applied topically to slow the blood flow.  Interestingly, it can also normalize menstruation by inducing delayed bleeding. Its actions extend to the mucous membranes of the urinary, gastrointestinal, and respiratory tracts, and as a general tonic for organs which lack tone (such as in the case of uterine prolapse). 

Yarrow contains many constituents (chemical compounds) that are responsible for its actions; these include lactones, flavonoids, amino acids, and fatty acids.  As with all medicines, care must be taken to use this plant only when it is indicated.  It contains a specific constituent, B-iso-thujone, which can cause reactions in some people: vomiting, intestinal cramps, vertigo, and skin rash.  It is contraindicated in people with allergies to any of the Asteraceae (daisy) family of plants, and in pregnancy, as it can induce bleeding.  Always check with your physician before initiating this medicine.

Since we have already covered the process of tincture-making, our focus here will be on the preparation of a topical (external) extract of Yarrow.  In a pinch, this plant provides excellent first aid while out on a hike. As with the other plants we’ve explored, harvest Yarrow according to the same principles of sustainability and gratitude for maximum medicinal and energetic effect.

The leaves of Yarrow make a wonderful spit poultice, which can be used effectively to stop bleeding from minor cuts and abrasions, as well as providing pain relief and antimicrobial action. A spit poultice is exactly what it sounds like: take the feathery leaves of the plant, chew them up into a paste, and apply the paste directly to the cut, making sure to cover it with a bandage.  This is good only for minor abrasions that are relatively clean; any deep, dirty, or puncture wounds should always be evaluated by a doctor. 

Yarrow makes a wonderful addition to any herbal medicine cabinet, since it offers many healing gifts for a variety of organ systems.  As you cultivate your relationship with this plant, it’s helpful to reflect on its warrior nature: humble, gentle, strong, and resilient. May this spirit guide you on your healing path!

Citation:

Tilgner, S. (2009). Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth (2nd ed.). Wise Acres.