Yarrow or Achillea millefolium is named after Greek mythological character Achilles. It is known that his soldiers used yarrow to heal their wounds. A popular myth about this plant is also that his mother soaked baby Achilles in a vat of Yarrow tea to protect him, holding the baby by his heel. His heel remained vulnerable. When Trojan Prince Paris shot him in his heel by an arrow, it killed him.
This summer, i first brought it home because it is a must have beauty in the summer bouquets. I soon decided I would start learning more about plants around me after my pharmacy gave me a new book about fytotherpy. I collected a few books from the local library to learn more about local plants.
Yarrow and Yarrow oil is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration as a flavoring agent in food.
In addition to wound healing, Yarrow is also proven to be useful for skin inflammation, menstrual pain, multiple sclerosis, and IBS. It is also good for UTI and common cold and cough. Which is a great help for me. As I always struggle with it. Yarrow tea is now fitted into my regular drinks.
I have dried and preserved and also made glycerites to use as a night cream. It is a great toner as it is rich in tannins, which helps tighten and tone the skin. It shrinks the pores and reduces acne. So i also presented a jar to my aunt who has acne problems.
In addition to that, i am also giving 0.5 ml Yarrow glycerites to my tiny Achilleses to make them immune to common diseases. After all, this weed has been used for more than 3000 years.
Cautions:
Not recommended to use orally or tropically by pregnant and breastfeeding women for extended period.
Beginners should be careful about similar looking plants while foraging as some like hemlock or water hemlock could be poisonous and deadly to human. Once you find your first Yarrow successfully, it is difficult to make a mistake.