Leaves

Evenly distributed along the stem, with the leaves near the middle and bottom of the stem being the largest. The leaves have varying degrees of hairiness. The leaves are 5–20 cm long, bipinnate or tripinnate, almost feathery, and arranged spirally on the stems.

Flowers

Contains ray and disk flowers which are white to pink. The generally 3-8 ray flowers are ovate to round. Disk flowers range from 15 to 40. The inflorescence is produced in a flat-topped capitulum cluster and the inflorescences are visited by many insects, featuring a generalized pollination system.

Seeds

Stem

Fruit

The small achene-like fruits are called cypsela.

Taste

The taste is somewhere between parsley, tarragon and cariander.

Frequency & law

Very common and note restricted.

The nuanced bit

As children we were often told that the worse a medicine tastes, the better it is; By that reasoning alone, Yarrow flower tea must be the best medicine ever!

Possible confusion

I have heard it said that you could confuse Yarrow with Wild Carrot, or Hemlock. However, I find that hard to believe. Learn to recognise the characteristics and you’ll be fine. For one thing, Daucus corota (Wild Carrot) does have vaguely similar leaves, but smells of carrot when crushed, and is edible anyway, and for another Conium maculatum (Hemlock) absolutely stinks and you’d be daft to put anything that smells like that in your mouth!

Habitat

Yarrow grows practically everywhere apart from Antarctica. It likes dry soils, meadows and clearings, often found along path-sides. Can grow up to 3 feet tall. Also seen frequently along canal banks.

How to harvest

The leaves seem to be available most of the year around, tender leaves appearing in early spring. It flowers from June to August and the seeds are usually available from July to September.

Cooking tips

Yarrow can be used as a herb.

Other uses

Yarrow has a very good reputation and is widely employed and respected in herbal medicine, administered both internally and externally. It is used in the treatment of a very wide range of disorders but is particularly valuable for treating wounds, stopping the flow of blood, treating colds, fevers.

Folklore

"It is indeed difficult to say in what complaints it may not with advantage receive employment. It is one of the common wayside herbs, and as useful and well adapted for recourse in almost any emergency where medicines are not at hand, as it is common." Hatfield Botanic Pharmacopeia 1886