In amongst the sea of white wild carrot flowers on the grassy slopes at Jacob’s Ladder, you’ll find flat-topped flowerheads of yarrow.

It’s worth stopping for a minute to find these wild yarrow plants as they are unspectacularly attractive and many colourful garden cultivars have been bred from them.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is named after Achilles who, according to legend, used it in battle to staunch blood flow in the wounded, promote healing and prevent infection.

These properties also gave rise to its medieval name of herba militaris and until recently yarrow was commonly used for closing wounds and preventing infection.

A perennial plant, yarrow is a member of the Asteraceae or Daisy family, with its flowerhead made up of many smaller individual flowers.

The petals are off-white and occasionally flushed lightly pink. Its leaves are finely cut giving the impression of having many tiny leaves (millefolium means thousands of leaves) which when crushed are aromatic, indicating the presence of essential oils. 

Herbalists know yarrow as ‘master of the blood’ because of its equalising influence on blood flow.

That influence corrects and nudges blood flow in the direction needed for good health. 

For example, yarrow is a styptic and haemostatic (it can stop excessive bleeding) but it also breaks up and disperses congealed blood such as bruises.

This equalising quality also extends to the circulation in general: constituents called coumarins reduce the stickiness of blood (yarrow is not a replacement for blood thinning medication), aiding increased blood flow to the peripheries.

This, in combination with its anti-spasmodic essential oils, can be a great help in the treatment of cold hands and feet, as well as Raynaud’s Disease.

Yarrow is a pelvic decongestant and I often include it in prescriptions where there are signs of stagnation in pelvic blood flow, for example, period pain and endometriosis.

Additionally, with yarrow’s haemostatic action it’s easy to see how useful this herb is in easing heavy blood flow.

The essential oils yarrow contains are anti-microbial and are the reason it prevents infection following injury, but they also have application in urinary tract infections (UTIs).

Yarrow is a diuretic, encouraging increased flow of urine, and this in combination with antimicrobial activity can help to flush the infection through.  

Yarrow is also a bitter herb and encourages production and release of bile from the liver and gallbladder.

This, along with its anti-microbial and gut healing properties make it a herb I often include in a gut healing tea.

At the first inkling of a cold or flu-like virus, yarrow was traditionally used in a foot bath, with the patient then going to bed to sweat out the virus.

The blood-moving properties of yarrow pushing the blood to the periphery of the body helped with this, promoting sweating and managing fever.

With such wide range of influences on the body, no wonder yarrow is known as The Herbalists Herb. 

Not for use in pregnancy.

Canda Diacono is a qualified Medical Herbalist, registered with the National Institute of Medical Herbalists. To find out more about a herbal approach to attaining good health, visit  www.candadiacono.com. 

If you have any medical concerns please consult with a medical professional, and please be 100% sure of your plant identification if ingesting it or putting on the skin.