Yarrow in the garden is probably one of the easiest perennial herbs to grow. It has many herbal and aromatic uses. This article is a short introduction to why you should grow yarrow in the garden! Written by professional aromatherapist, herbalist, and gardener Sharon Falsetto.
Yarrow in the Garden
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a member of the Asteraceae botanical family and is related to both sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and calendula (Calendula officinalis).
Botanically speaking, yarrow is an herbaceous perennial herb that grows up to three feet in height (although I have seen it taller than that, given the “right” circumstances, such as not enough sunlight). It can also spread in width if given free reign. Yarrow has feathery-looking leaves with white flowers. You will see it in various shades of bright pink and yellow, but these are usually ornamental cultivars and not the medicinal variety.
Its botanical name genus Achillea is a nod towards the Greek warrior Achilles, and it was invariably used for healing in battle. The species name millefolium translates from Latin into English as thousand-leaved which can be seen on yarrow’s feathery leaves and its minute dissections.
How to Grow Yarrow
Yarrow can be grown from seed or from a “starter” plant. Just make sure that you are purchasing the medicinal variety if you choose to grow from a starter plant; many big box stores only carry the ornamental cultivar. After the first year, yarrow becomes established and can spread rapidly if not contained or cut back (roots and all).
Yarrow begins to push through tiny leaves of green in the spring and grow upwards and outwards. The flowers arrive late in spring or summer, depending on your location. If you don’t harvest the flowers for pleasure or medicinal purposes, they will set seed in the fall. Harvesting regularly has the added benefit of producing more blooms. The above ground foliage dies back as soon as the cold weather arrives, but yarrow stores energy in its roots below ground in preparation for the push in spring again.
Yarrow is an excellent plant for drought-ridden climates as it doesn’t demand a lot of water and freely grows as a “weed” in fields, if left unchecked. It is also not fussy about soil type and can survive in clay soil without much mulching or fertilization, as I can attest to in the several years I have grown yarrow in the garden.
Yarrow as a Pollinator-friendly Plant
Yarrow is an attractive plant for bees, butterflies, moths, and flies. It produces a reliable source of nectar and pollen all season long, as long at the plant has the right conditions to flourish.
Yarrow as Part of the Ecosystem
Yarrow is a big contributor to a healthy ecosystem, especially in North America, where it is indigenous. In addition to attracting various pollinators which help build biodiversity, yarrow maintains soil health due to its deep roots. These roots accumulate potassium, phosphorus and copper.1 Furthermore, “Additionally as a compost activator to speed decomposition, roots can help break up compacted soil or reduce erosion of light and friable soils. Yarrow’s ability to mine copper provides an important micronutrient for plant growth and essential amendment for acidic soils.”1
Harvesting Yarrow from the Garden for Medicinal Uses
I have grown an appreciation for yarrow in its herbal form in the few years that I have grown it in the garden. Both the leaves and flowers can be harvested for herbal medicine. It is also great as a tea. If you have access to a still, you can also distill it for either a hydrosol or an essential oil (which is a beautiful blue or green color). Yarrow’s most amazing therapeutic benefit as an herb, in my opinion, is as a styptic. As an essential oil, it can have the opposite effect. But it has many other benefits too, which we’ll talk about in the next article.
Learn More About Yarrow with Sedona Aromatics
If you enjoyed reading this article, check out our Botanical Aromatherapy™ Membership School and our Language of Aromatics™ Course Programs for further information on herbs like yarrow.
References:
- Organic Seed Alliance. Yarrow: A Plant Profile and Seed Historian Report by Katya Wesley. March 26, 2024. Accessed from: https://seedalliance.org/2024/yarrow-a-plant-profile-and-seed-historian-report-by-katya-wesely/
About the Author:
The author of this article has been working in the health care industry since the 1990’s and in the aromatherapy industry since the 2000’s. She is UK-certified aromatherapist and a NAHA Certified Professional Aromatherapist®. She is both a published author and editor in aromatherapy, a consultant, custom blend formulator and, more recently, an herbalist, gardener, and botanical perfumer. She is the author of Authentic Aromatherapy and the current chief editor of the NAHA Aromatherapy Journal. Sharon has grown many herbs and plants in her own garden for the past seven years for study and medicinal purposes. She is currently on a year’s hiatus from gardening due to a recent move but is already planning her new herb and rose garden for next year.
