It’s actually a remarkable specimen
It starts with a story; Yarrow is the English word for this plant but it can be traced back to ancient Greece. In Greece it was known as Achillea Millefolium. It’s actually named after that mythical Achilles who was known to carry small bundles of it in his pocket. It’s funny because it’s true.
The history of this plant goes that far back, it grows all over the world and at one point its medicinal value was common knowledge.
What it does
Yarrow is bursting with elements that benefit the human body. Now disclaimer, you can eat it, but it
really makes better medicine than it does a food. Eating too much of it can cause abdominal pain and other unpleasant side effects. Which is why Yarrow is mainly used as a painkiller; it is a “cousin” to aspirin which was originally made with bark from a tree. Inhalation, Direct Application and Purification are three different ways to use Yarrow and all of them have strong medicinal benefits. It’s also been used as a contraceptive.
Anyone can make tincture in their kitchen and if you’re a vodka drinker you’re in luck because you can use it! The tincture can be used to treat fevers by adding it to boiling water and drinking it. Burning it and inhaling can help with headaches. When applied directly to open wounds or burned down to an essential oil it acts as a disinfectant.
If you are a gardener, (hobbyist or serious) Yarrow is one of those invasive friends that can take up
space a more useless weed might otherwise occupy. The value of Yarrow cannot be overstated. It is both versatile and somewhat ubiquitous. You’ve probably seen it or misidentified it at some point
because it grows everywhere! (As in globally) It shares visual likeness to Queen Anne ’s lace and far less beneficial flora like Hemlock. Consider Yarrow a weed you never pull. When planning a garden by shopping for seed, think about ordering perennials that are (local) self seeders. When you pull out the weeds in a given area you have an opportunity to replace them ergo weeding becomes harvesting. If you know the value of companion planting and square foot spacing you can create a tiny ecosystem with what you are planting.
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