YARROW
Achillea millefolium
On a recent beach walk I spent some time looking over the various plants in and just behind the berm of a nearby beach, the relatively flat area at the back of some beaches formed of material deposited by wave action -- shell debris, pebbles, driftwood and such. Gumweed, orache, silver burweed and yarrow, back there among large peices of driftwood, were among the plants that grabbed my attention.
Later I looked for more information about several of these plants, and found that some fascinating history is related to the genus name of yarrow -- Achillea.
Seems since ancient times yarrow's finely divided/dissected leaves have been thought to have medicinal properties.
 |
The genus name comes from the epic poem of the 9th or 8th century BC the Iliad, ascribed to Homer. In it he describes the legendary Trojan War fought between a confederation of Greeks and the city of Troy, and the subsequent seige of the city. Achilles, the greatest of Greek warriors and hero of the the Iliad, used a yarrow extract to treat some of the soldiers wounded in the battle of Troy, but is later killed when wounded in the heel, his only vulnerable spot. |
 |
It has since been discovered that Achilles and associates were "right on the money," for yarrow contains chamazulene, a drug used effectively in treating hemorrhages. The Spaniards in early-day California were aware of this property, using yarrow to stop the blood flow from fresh wounds. |
And the species name of yarrow is quite descriptive: millefolium -- a thousand finely cut leaves. It does indeed have narrow, feathery or fern-like leaves which are finely divided.
Felt to have been a European perennial, yarrow reached the shores of our continent early on - probably by the 1600's. Usually one to two feet tall, the plant is topped with flat or somewhat rounded clusters of white flower-heads. Relegated to weed status - yarrow is common and incredibly widespread, growing from desert to high alpine areas even though it is not one of the more aggresive weeds.
When growing in cattle-grazing fields, cows will generally snub their noses at it, but will mosey closer and use it as a starvation-type food if other eats are not available. Milk produced by such cows is said to have an unpleasant flavor.
The plants are strongly, although pleasantly, aromatic - somewhat like sage in this respect. The Okanagan used yarrow as a mosquito and insect repellent, making a fragrant smudge of leaves on hot coals.
Some today brew yarrow tea or tonic. What say? Might be interesting to try.
Pat Nash
Beach Watcher
Class of '94