Yarrow

Yarrow is a beautiful perennial plant, native to the Northern hemisphere, and with a wide spectrum of effects both in herbal medicine and gardening. It got its botanical name after Achilles, the greatest warrior of Homer’s Iliad who apparently used this plant to heal several comrades of his, and as the legends suggests, the secret powers of the plant were revealed to him by the gods from Olympos.

Millefolium or “thousand leaf” refers -obviously- to the numerous flower petals which can be found in white or less often, in light pink colour. In Slovene we call it “rman” (no, not that one).

As a child, I really disliked yarrow infusion that my mum would give me whenever I was ill. Today I feel completely the opposite about it. Its bitter taste is not exactly inviting and I actually don’t know any person who would drink it with pleasure. Except myself.

During the past year I’ve grown to love yarrow and learnt a whole lot about it after stumbling upon my grandma’s book of Maria Treben, Austrian herbalist. Some of the medicinal properties of yarrow are for example: anti-inflammatory, anti-pyretic, anti-histamine, carminative, diuretic, sedative and stomachic. The latter one is the one I take special interest in and so far I am able to say all the best about this plant: it helps my stomach whenever it gets upset and it brings relief almost instantly.
Yarrow is not only a blessing for our health, but also for the health of the plants in our garden. Watering them with yarrow infusion boosts their immune system and protects them from pests. At the same time, we use it as a natural fertilizer.

My conclusion: a VERY useful plant. Want to see how I picked it up in the countryside this summer and process it at home for my winter stock? Keep on reading!

That’s the right place to look for yarrow

Yarrow can be found growing in grasslands and open forests throughout summer months starting in early June to October. Although I’ve spotted it all over Ljubljana town, I preferred to search for it in the countryside.

There are a couple of non-written rules you should respect when you want to pick up this plant (or any other plant with medicinal properties):

1. Do not tear off the plant together with its roots. Use scissors to cut it. Picking it with the roots can lead to extinction of the plant in that area.
2. Do never cut all the plants in the area; always leave some for further reproduction.
3. Pick the plants only in the area that is free of chemical fertilizers, pesticides etc., and also away from roads and industrial zones.
4. Pick healthy looking, pestless plants only.
5. The best time to pick a plant is on a sunny day, in the morning just after the morning dew has dried up.
6. When collecting the plant, do not store it in plastic bags but rather in a wooden basket to keep it in contact with air.
7. Do not wash the plant before drying, just chop it a little, spread over paper and let it dry in the shadow or in a warm, airy place.
8. Store well dried plants in jars (dark coloured, if possible) away from light.

Lovely white flowers

After two weeks of drying in shade…

…ready to be chopped up…

… and stored.

Soothing…