Also called carpenter's weed, gearwe, herbe militaris, llysiau’r gwaedlif, milfoil, plumajillo, seven years' love, staunch-weed, sanguinary, and woundwort, Yarrow has a long history of being used to staunch blood, particularly in battle wounds. It is scientifically named Achillea millefolium because of the belief that Achilles carried it with him in battle to help heal his soldiers. There is also folklore that holding it to the eye can grant second sight, which might be behind folknames like "Devil/Old Man's Plaything" and "Devil/Old Man's Nettle." It is a strong survivor of a plant, growing often in places like hedgerows and roadsides. Yarrow is generally used for binding, divination, growing community, healing, protection, and strengthening bonds and has been connected to the gods Chiron & Cernunnos, fairies, the element of Air, the sign of Gemini, planet Venus, and the Sun. Yarrow stalks have historically been used for I Ching (also called Yi Jing) divination. Some connect to the sacral chakra.
Yarrow is native to temperate regions in the northern hemisphere, but has been introduced globally. It has even been found in Neanderthal burials, meaning human use of Yarrow dates back at least 60,000 years! It has sometimes been used as livestock forage. It is often found in the nests of starlings, which seems to help deter parasites. Yarrow also serves as a food for hundreds of species of insect. It is a good companion plant that attracts beneficial insects to the garden.
Yarrow is considered astringent, diaphoretic, laxative, and tonic. All parts are edible and nutritious, but are somewhat bitter and astringent, and it is advised not to eat in large quantity. Leaves can be used to make a tea with a somewhat anise-like flavour. Internal use should be avoided during pregnancy.
Our garden yarrow is the "Moonshine" variety of Achillea filipendulina, or fernleaf yarrow. We have named the plant "Thetis" in honour of Achilles's mother, as this plant is grown in a memorial garden for Kendra's mother. As such, one might feel a healing maternal energy from this herb. The primary difference between this garden yarrow and our wild yarrow is slightly larger & yellow flowers, larger & stiffer leaves, and long flower stalks. Because of the obviously limited supply, it is only sold in 5g bags. While we do dry & package these whole, they are somewhat brittle and may break a bit before you get them home.
Our herbs are not packaged in a commercial kitchen, and, as such, are not fit for human consumption in accordance with Health Canada regulations. We provide information about food and health benefits for educational purposes only. Our herbs are not to be consumed and are sold for religious, spiritual, and curio purposes. Our herbs are stocked at our booth at the 400 Market in Innisfil, Ontario, which is only open on weekends, which may delay fulfillment of online orders. When ordering online, your yarrow package will be intuitively chosen for you. All our prices are inclusive of sales tax within Canada, when applicable.