Yarrow: Achillea sp

Other names: Milfoil, Sneezeweed

Of all the plants that occur in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, its hard to not learn Yarrow. This plant is probably one of the most abundant plants of the whole region. It not only grows far inland but grows near the coast, along the roads, and in the city in disturbed habitats. The amazing thing is that it is native, and it has a ton of medicinal uses.

For one, the scientific name Achilles, helps us understand its historic use. The genus name was given this because the greek god Achilles was reportedly dunked in a bath of Yarrow to make him invinceable. Yet, of course, they missed his heal, and thus he was still vulnerable in that one area.

Medicinal Use: From my research, it seems that this plant has two main healing uses. The first is to act as a blood-clotting agent of which is applied to wounds. The second is a use for colds whereby the yarrow is mixed as a tea and then the vapors inhaled. Both these uses may be a result of the fact that yarrow has anti-inflammatory properties (Journal of Pharmaceutical Studies: Goldberg).

Food use: This plant is not really used much as a food. Its primary use seems to be for medicinal applications. However, it has long had the nickname, “Poor man’s Pepper”, because one can use ground yarrow leaves as a seasoning. Another use is to take the flowers, fry them in butter, and serve hot. IT is important however, in all aspects of using the plant, to exercise caution. The plant is a potent medicine and thus, should be taken in mild amounts.