Yarrow: The Warrior’s Herb Of Ancient Times

Yarrow is a common flowering plant with a delicate beauty that belies its historical reputation as a medicine for soldiers and its toughness as a perennial. Tiny white, pink, purple, or yellow flowers perch above feathery foliage of this member of the aster family. The leaves appear fernlike and delicate. One of the names of the herb, “milfoil,” comes from the French mille feuille, referring to the plant’s “thousand leaves.”

Though fragile in appearance, yarrow is a hardy plant. Native to Europe and Asia, it has naturalized in North America. It’s tolerant of colder climates and sometimes escapes …read more