Every year, the International Herb Association chooses the Herb of the Year and publishes a compendium for that herb. For this coming year, 2024, the Herb of the Year is yarrow (Achillea).
A member of the Asteraceae (daisy or aster) family, yarrow is an Old World herb, primarily from Europe. There are more than 100 species but Achillea millefolium is the most common and one of the most widely used medicinal plants in the world. The plant is a few feet tall and wide with small white flowers, grouped together in a flat-headed corymb (like an umbel).
Since yarrow has been used medicinally for thousands of years, it has obtained many interesting common names: dog daisy, dog fennel, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousandleaf, devil’s nettle, carpenter’s weed, nose bleed, old-man’s-pepper, and stenchgrass. The botanical name comes from Achilles in the literary Trojan War of the Iliad who used this herb to staunch the wounds of his soldiers. The specific epithet, “millefolium,” refers to the finely dissected foliage, which appears like a thousand leaves.
The medicinal properties of yarrow are recognized worldwide and included in the national pharmacopoeias of Germany, France, and Switzerland. This plant has been used as a tonic, for relieving abdominal pains and flatulence, and has anti-inflammatory, anti-spasmodic, diaphoretic, diuretic, wound-healing, and anti-bleeding properties.
Even in this country as recent as the Civil War, yarrow was used to staunch the soldiers’ bleeding.
Achillea millefolium is not a native plant but it has naturalized here and is commonly found in fields and along roadsides. Some may think the plant is too weedy for the garden but as a garden plant, yarrow is a hardy, drought tolerant perennial that blooms from summer to fall.
You are more likely to see cultivars of A. millefolium on the market that have been bred to have stronger stems, a more upright growth habit, and a wider range of flower colors (pink, lemon, red, peach, bicolors, and pastels). These do not look “weedy” and make great garden plants. The photo below is Summer Pastels which is a 1990 All America Selections Flower Winner selected for its beautiful color range and strong stems.
This perennial is a full sun plant but not particular about soil. The aromatic foliage is of no interest to deer. Flowers, which butterflies love, can be cut and used for fresh or dried flower arrangements.
You may find this plant in the perennials section of the nursery instead of the herb section. Most people do not know it is an herb but think of it as a flowering perennial. You also can grow yarrow from seed, here is a list of seed catalogs. If you have a friend who has yarrow, ask for a division. It is easy to lift an established plant and divide in the spring.
Add this plant to your garden in 2024 and check out the compendium when it is published later in the year. There is a compendium for each Herb of the Year, available to the public for a nominal fee.
First photo: Illustration of yarrow from Köhler’s Medicinal Plants, 1887-1898
Second Photo: Photo of Summer Pastels courtesy of All America Selections
