Open Source Apothecary At Home / The herbs

Yarrow

The traditional wound herb — and the one whose internal use needs the most care. — Achillea millefolium

remedy

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) grows wild in rough grass here and is one of the oldest wound herbs in the European tradition — the genus is named for Achilles.

What is defensible. Yarrow is astringent and mildly anti-inflammatory, and it has a long topical history for stopping minor bleeding and soothing irritated skin. The evidence for these uses is traditional and mechanistic rather than trial-based; there is some clinical interest in yarrow for wound healing and in combination products.

What is not defensible. Yarrow has been promoted for fever, for menstrual problems and as a diaphoretic, largely on tradition. The trial evidence for internal use is thin. Yarrow is also a common cause of contact dermatitis in sensitive people, and it is one that is often overlooked because the plant is so familiar.

The safety point that is most often missed. Yarrow is avoided in pregnancy, and — critically — yarrow can be confused with other white-rayed composites, including some that are not benign. Wild harvesting means identification matters.

Where it belongs. Yarrow is a good plant in a wildflower area, is useful topically, and does not need garden space. It is not a fever treatment.

What the studies found

Growing it

| | | |---|---| | Life | Perennial; spreads by rhizome | | Propagation | Division (easiest), or seed | | Light | Full sun | | Soil | Any; drought tolerant once established | | Spacing | 30-45 cm; it will spread | | Harvest | Flowering tops at full flower, midsummer | | Dry | Shade, ambient |

Grows wild in rough grass here — check before planting it deliberately. Divide every 2-3 years to keep it in bounds.

Preparation

Topical for minor bleeding and grazes — a fresh leaf poultice, or a strong infusion on a cloth.

Flower infusion — the traditional diaphoretic tea, on thin evidence.

Salve — yarrow in an infused oil for grazes and chapped skin.

Tincture — the conventional internal preparation, again on traditional rather than trial evidence.

Cautions and interactions

• Avoid yarrow in pregnancy — traditionally treated as a uterine stimulant.
• Yarrow causes contact dermatitis in sensitive people.
• Do not use yarrow as a fever treatment.
• Misidentification risk among white-rayed composites — confirm before wild harvesting.
• May interact with anticoagulants and with sedatives.

When this is not a self-care problem — get help

• A fever in an infant, or a fever with a stiff neck, rash, confusion or breathlessness — emergency care.
• A wound that will not stop bleeding, or is deep, or is on the face — medical care, not a poultice.

Known interactions

• Possible additive effect with anticoagulants; may potentiate sedatives.

Related

• Wounds and grazes
• Foraging the wild medicinals — and the five rules that keep it safe
• Fever: what it is for, and when it means something else
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding: the honest position
• Oil infusions, and turning them into salves

Sources

1. Achillea millefolium is beneficial as an add-on therapy in patients with multiple sclerosis: A randomized placebo-controlled clinical trial. Phytomedicine : international journal of phytotherapy and phytopharmacology 2019; doi:10.1016/j.phymed.2018.06.017 PubMed 30599916
2. Effect of Achillea Millefolium on Relief of Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of pediatric and adolescent gynecology 2015; doi:10.1016/j.jpag.2014.12.008 PubMed 26238568
3. Comparison of Thymus vulgaris (Thyme), Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) and propolis hydroalcoholic extracts versus systemic glucantime in the treatment of cutaneous leishmaniasis in balb/c mice. Journal of vector borne diseases 2008; PubMed 19248657
4. Achillea millefolium: Mechanism of action, pharmacokinetic, clinical drug-drug interactions and tolerability. Heliyon 2023; doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e22841 PubMed 38076118
5. Novel Nanotechnological Strategies for Skin Anti-aging. Current pharmaceutical biotechnology 2023; doi:10.2174/1389201024666221223095315 PubMed 36567280