Continuing our exploration of ancestral wisdom and plant gifts, I wanted to share with you a small bit of information about Achillea millefolium, commonly called yarrow, milfoil, woundwort, staunchweed, herba militaries, allheal and bloodwort. A review of these common names indicates Achillea’s powerful ability to staunch bleeding. I have heard some pretty harrowing stories of its successful use as emergency first aid for major wounds.
I am struck by how the wisdom of Nature permeates the plant beings. Within this plant are many gifts. They are felt in relationship with the plant, discovered by people who are able to tap into the many ways a plant could support human well-being. Although it is a very human-centric position to see plants for what they can offer us by way of health, shelter or resources, it remains valid that we are as much a part of the ecosystem as any other life form, and the relationship between living beings, where one sees, touches, notices the other in a way that moves beyond words, that distills the heart, that opens the space for communion is a place of sacred recognition. Our ancestors honored every plants offering with gratitude before harvesting, and by intentionally sustaining the land and ecosystem in a way that was mutually beneficial.
Below you will find a poem honoring this unique plant, who (yes, the plants are alive and are felt to be worthy of ‘who’ not ‘that’) offers balance to the inner ecosystem producing a harmonizing effect commonly associated with the gifts of Venus. And further below that you will find the first few paragraphs of a monograph about the folklore uses of this delicate, beautiful perennial herb. But first a little morphology.
Achillea Morphology
Achillea has frilly, aromatic leaves and large flat clusters of small flowers on top of a stem in a compound corymb or flat-topped capitulum cluster. It can produce several stems from a rhizome root structure.[i] Flowers can be white (most common), yellow, orange, pink or red. These flowers are a nutritious source of food for many pollinator insects. Leaves are evenly dispersed on the stem with larger leaves lower to the ground.[ii] Leaves are lanceolate with bipinnate dissections,[iii]creating the frilly texture common to the species. From May to June, this species is thriving.[iv]Williamson states it flowers from June through September[v] and that plants average about 10-20 inches tall (Williamson, 2011).
[i] https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=ACMI2
[ii] https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=ACMI2
[iii] https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=ACMI2
[iv] https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=ACMI2
[v] Williamson, Darcy. Medicinal Plants of the Northwest: 130 Monographs. From the Forest. McCall, 2011
Achillea millefolium with a dear friend, the honey bee in mutual support of one another.
Beautiful Yarrow
Beautiful Yarrow
wisps of leaf caressing ancient sky
your gifts of Beauty abound ~
Your inner offerings touch our inner world ~
magic ~
bringing the brilliant Heavens to receptive Earth
harmonizing sacred inner
with blessed outer
cleansing the waters of creation
supporting an easeful flow.
Opening as you do toward light
your flowers and leaves
share their wisdom
in warm water baths
to be sipped when hot
opening the skin of Being
that heat may move
through open channels
pores of transfer
guiding your inner alchemy
through the system
only to emerge again into the beautiful cosmos
on waves of heat
like chariots of fire
relieving the body of fever.
Neither warming nor cooling
a sweet harmonizing Grace
exudes from your Being
flowing smoothly through
blood of our veins
inciting movement where needed
and stillness where needed
a modulator of Love
Venusian gifts to the Soul.
Field of Achillea glory nestled among lupin and other wild flowers.
Folklore Uses
Traditional uses for Yarrow include digestive issues, liver and gallbladder problems, irregular menstruation, cramps, fever using specifically the flowers[i] (Easley & Horne, 2016) and wound care.[ii]Recent research has also show anti-inflammatory (or immune modulating) effects and anti-oxidant benefits, which could offer some scientific explanation for the benefits documented in folklore uses.[iii]
Native tribes of the Chippewa and Pawnee are known to use Yarrow for common issues. The Pawnee favored the stalk for pain relief and the Chippewa used the leaves as a steam inhalant for headaches.[iv] It has also been noted to be used as a stimulant poultice with the roots chewed and applied to appendages.[v]
Historically, Yarrow leaves were applied to war wounds in European regions to stop bleeding[vi] (Easley & Horne, 2016). The authors follow with a caution to bandage and use proper pressure as well. Yarrow can also be used internally for bleeding.
The Nez Perce chewed yarrow root (fresh) for toothaches[vii] (Williamson, 2011). They also made a salve of the whole plant for rashes and used an infusion of the tops for earaches[viii] (Williamson, 2011).
Yarrow flowers were used by natives to dye baskets a subtle green. The flowers produce this color with proper processing[ix] (Williamson, 2011). Williamson (Williamson, 2011) also notes that bundles of Yarrow placed on a fire was a method used by First Peoples to discourage mosquito presence. She also reports that Yarrow helps other plants be more disease resistant when grown in the same area of a garden[x] (Williamson, 2011).
Cherokee nations used the plant as a tea for fever management and for restful sleep.[xi] They also crushed green plant material as an inhalant to relieve headaches. Cherokee people used Yarrow as a poultice for wounds, a decoction for diarrhea and for colds, and a flower decoction was used as a wash for itching, sores or rashes, varying the strength of the decoction by the need. A root decoction was used to extract splinters and boiled whole plant was applied to wounds, while boiled leaf was applied to swelling[xii] (Williamson, 2011).
They further used Yarrow for digestive needs making a decoction of the flowers for indigestion and stomach aches, and a leaf decoction for colic or dyspepsia[xiii] (Williamson, 2011). A decoction of flowers was used as a liniment for muscle pain and the fresh herb, leaves or root, was rubbed on the gums for toothaches and packed into cavities to relieve pain[xiv] (Williamson, 2011).
[i] Easley, Thomas and Steven Horne. The Modern Herbal Dispensary: A Medicine Making Guide. North Atlantic Books; Berkeley 2016.
[ii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19075697/
[iii] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19075697/
[iv] https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=ACMI2
[v] https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=ACMI2
[vi] Easley, Thomas and Steven Horne. The Modern Herbal Dispensary: A Medicine Making Guide. North Atlantic Books; Berkeley 2016.
[vii] Williamson, Darcy. Medicinal Plants of the Northwest: 130 Monographs. From the Forest. McCall, 2011
[viii] Williamson, Darcy. Medicinal Plants of the Northwest: 130 Monographs. From the Forest. McCall, 2011
[ix] Williamson, Darcy. Medicinal Plants of the Northwest: 130 Monographs. From the Forest. McCall, 2011
[x] Williamson, Darcy. Medicinal Plants of the Northwest: 130 Monographs. From the Forest. McCall, 2011
[xi] https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=ACMI2
[xii] Williamson, Darcy. Medicinal Plants of the Northwest: 130 Monographs. From the Forest. McCall, 2011
[xiii] Williamson, Darcy. Medicinal Plants of the Northwest: 130 Monographs. From the Forest. McCall, 2011
[xiv] Williamson, Darcy. Medicinal Plants of the Northwest: 130 Monographs. From the Forest. McCall, 2011
