The Stigma Of Weeds: Yarrow
- Zane Houser
- Sep 20, 2017
- 3 min read
In my last article I talked about the benefits of a pesky little vermin of a plant; what a villain the dandelion is, robbing your garden at gun point, never saying its please and thank yous. What a mooch! So here is the next addition to the list of plants long forgotten by common knowledge, but date back a millennia with lots of history and perhaps even lives saved. But alas not many know of Achillea Millefolium, otherwise known as Yarrow.
Named for the the Trojan hero Achilles during the Trojan War, yarrow has many folk names such as nose bleed, soldiers wound wort, old mans pepper and thousand leaf. This plant has long served mankind, and now we rip it stalk and root from the earth because it's not a plant we want in the rambunctious display of our flower gardens and of course our vegetable gardens. However, instead of throwing away these plants as if they were oppressing you and putting you in camps, why not research them and find out what amazing health benefits they have!! " Oh but I would rather just use drugs and Neosporin. I love feeding monopolies. " The Leaves
Yarrow is a quite diverse medicinal herb that has a wide variety of medical uses, but most importantly this plant has uses as an emergency styptic to stop bleeding. Because of its constituents, the plant causes clotting of your blood vessels. Back in the days of swords, catapults, and beyond, yarrow was a widely used herb. If you suffer from frequent nose bleeds you could put some of the crushed leaf in your nose and it will cause the bleeding to stop, although, it has been known to cause nosebleeds in this practice.
A quote by a man of John Gerard in 1597 adds merit to yarrow's wide use, he says “most men say that the leaves chewed and especially green, are a remedy for toothaches.” When you have tried everything in the world to relieve your tooth aches you could always put this legend to the test....why not? It's free. Other ways to use the plant would be to use as a poultice, getting some cloth and washed yarrow leaves and placing them over a wound would help cause clotting and may potentially save a life, especially if you are out hiking in the woods and have a unexpected slip and a tree branch or rock slices your skin open and all you have around you is some yarrow and clothing, believe it or not accidents like this happen. However always be sure to bring a first aid kit with you because these plants are not a cure all save all. But keep an eye out for yarrow, if soldiers in antiquity used it, so can you. Yarrow For The ladies
Yarrow has great potential for aid in menstruation and menopause, traditionally used for painful cramps and heavy bleeding or even helps to bring on menstruation. It has antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties that help aid the uterus with spasms and cramping but unlike its use for nose bleeds, you cant just grab some leafs and cram them up there ladies! For everyone wanting to know more about the uses of yarrow for menstruation and menopause you should really check out this incredible article about yarrow's uses and how to prepare it for aid in these feminine cycles and other conditions such as uterine cysts and pelvic congestion, even fertility.
Remember that "weed" is a entirely subjective term and most plants that you find growing wild have a useful purpose medicinally or environmentally beneficial. Plants that flower serve a great role in the animal kingdom helping feed a diverse variety of insects which in turn feeds the circle of life. Next time you see a plant find out what that plant is and see what special and interesting properties it might have it might even have some cool history.
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