Yarrow: A tough, timeless healer

This plant is as helpful as it is resilient, and it can be used to support multiple body systems

- Photos by Danielle Brost

Yarrow is a plant offering multiple gifts. It’s there when you’re nursing sunburns, riding out a cold, or coping with heavy menstrual cycles. From wound healer on old battlefields to a comforting cup during seasonal colds or transitions, this herb wears many hats.

Herb at a glance

• Botanical name: Achillea millefolium

• Common names: Yarrow, Milfoil, Soldier’s Woundwort, Nosebleed Plant

• Plant family: Asteraceae

• Known for: Wound healing, fever reduction, blood staunching

• Prep forms: Tea, tincture, topical wash/compress, salve, oil, powder

• Parts used: Aerial parts

• Growth habit: Perennial 

Key constituents

• Sesquiterpene lactones: Soothe inflammation and help reduce swelling, especially in skin and digestive tissues.

• Flavonoids (e.g., Apigenin, luteolin): Act as antioxidants and support immune resilience, they may also calm digestive spasms.

• Tannins: Provide astringent properties that help staunch bleeding and tighten tissues, useful in wound healing.

• Volatile oils (e.g., Camphor, cineole, chamazulene): Add aromatic action and contribute to antimicrobial and antispasmodic effects.

• Bitter glycosides: Stimulate digestive function by promoting bile and stomach juice production, aiding digestion.

• Vitamins (such as Vitamin C): Support overall nutritive value and immune health.

Primary actions

Hemostatic/styptic: Stops bleeding by promoting clotting at wound sites. This action is evident when yarrow leaves are applied directly to wounds to staunch bleeding or when taken internally to regulate excessive menstrual flow.

Astringent: Tightens and tones tissue. Yarrow contains tannins that help contract blood vessels and tissues, making it effective for wound healing, reducing bleeding, and supporting mucous membranes throughout the body.

Anti-inflammatory: Reduces swelling and inflammation, both externally (applied to the skin for cuts, rashes, eczema) and internally (as a tea or tincture).

Antiseptic/antimicrobial: Helps prevent infection in wounds and supports immune health. Yarrow’s volatile oils, like cineol and azulene, have potent antibacterial and antiviral effects.

Diaphoretic: Encourages sweating, helping to lower fevers and support the body when fighting colds and flu. Yarrow tea is commonly used for this purpose during illness.

Digestive bitter and carminative: Stimulates digestion, appetite, and bile flow, and can reduce bloating.

Vulnerary: Promotes tissue repair and wound healing.

Systems supported

Skin: Topical applications of yarrow have been used to promote wound healing, reduce inflammation, and provide mild antimicrobial protection.

Cardiovascular: Yarrow preparations may support vascular health through mild vasodilation and blood pressure-lowering effects. Research indicates yarrow can help relax blood vessels and reduce hypertension, although these effects are relatively modest. Individuals on cardiovascular medications should use caution.

Digestive: Evidence supports yarrow’s ability to ease digestive discomfort. Its anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic actions can reduce intestinal cramping and mild inflammation, while also stimulating bile secretion and aiding overall digestive function.

Urinary: Yarrow has a history of use as a mild diuretic and urinary tract antiseptic. While clinical trial data are limited, laboratory studies demonstrate its antimicrobial activity, and herbal tradition supports its adjunctive use for easing urinary tract discomfort and supporting urinary tract health.

Reproductive: Clinical studies suggest yarrow can help alleviate menstrual pain and premenstrual symptoms. Its antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory effects may also help regulate menstrual flow and improve comfort during menstruation.

Immune: Yarrow is recognized for its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory effects, and has been traditionally used to help reduce fevers and support the body during minor infections. Modern studies confirm its ability to modulate inflammation and inhibit microbial growth, especially for mild respiratory illnesses.

Nervous system: Yarrow has mild nervine properties, meaning it can help reduce nervous tension and promote relaxation. Some of its constituents have been shown to offer anxiolytic and calming effects. Though not as potent as stronger sedatives, yarrow’s calming action is sometimes utilized in herbal formulas for stress and mild anxiety.

Energetics, cultural use and herbal lore

Yarrow is cooling and drying, making it well-suited for hot, damp constitutions and conditions. In several cultures, it is also considered a protector, creating healthy boundaries and shielding from outside influences, whether physical or emotional. It’s associated with courage, self-containment, resilience, psychic clarity and the ability to “hold one’s own space” without shutting down empathy.

For North American Indigenous people, yarrow held traditional significance, used in purification smudges, ceremonies and herbal medicines.

In folk beliefs across Europe, yarrow was treated as a ward against evil, worn, or hung for protection (sometimes on May Eve or at the full moon for maximum potency.) It was common in divination rituals, especially for love, such as sleeping with yarrow under the pillow to dream of one’s future sweetheart.

Yarrow’s genus name, Achillea, honours Achilles, the legendary warrior of the Trojan War. 

In China, yarrow stalks were the traditional tool for casting the I Ching, an ancient method of divination.

Propagation

Soil: Yarrow thrives in well-drained, lean to moderately fertile soils, preferring a neutral to slightly acidic pH. Avoid rich soils or heavy mulch, which can encourage overly lush, floppy growth and reduce blooms. It can be prolific and you may want to keep it in containers.

Light: Full sun is ideal for strong, healthy plants and abundant flowering. Yarrow also tolerates light shade but may be less vigorous.

When to harvest: Gather yarrow when the flower heads are fully open but before browning. Harvest on a dry, sunny day, ideally late morning after dew evaporates but before peak sun heats the patch.

How to harvest: Use scissors or pruners to cut flower stalks 2-3 inches above the ground, leaving ample foliage. Test stems for firmness: if the head flops when gently wiggled, wait a few days for stronger stems.

Drying: Lay stalks in a single layer, dry in a dark, airy spot.

Companions: Having yarrow in the garden benefits many common plants. It attracts pollinators and beneficial insects (like ladybugs and lacewings), deterring pests. Good companion plants for yarrow include cabbage, cauliflower, arugula, broccoli, nasturtiums, chamomile, dill, herbs, coneflowers, and bee balm.

Contraindications

Overuse: Excessive ingestion can lead to toxic effects, so yarrow should not be taken long-term, or in high doses.

Unsafe for pregnancy: Yarrow is unsafe during pregnancy (may cause uterine contractions and miscarriage) and not recommended for breastfeeding mothers.

Allergies: Can cause reactions in people sensitive to ragweed and other plants in the Asteraceae family.

Interaction risks: Yarrow may slow blood clotting and increase the risk of bleeding, especially when combined with anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs (e.g., warfarin, aspirin, clopidogrel). Discontinue use at least 2 weeks before surgery. May also interact with anticoagulants, lithium, and drugs processed by liver enzymes (like some antibiotics and sedatives). Consult with a practitioner before taking, if you are on any medications or supplements.

Skin sensitivity: Fresh yarrow may irritate sensitive skin. and in rare cases, cause light sensitivity (photosensitivity) in individuals with hypersensitive skin.

Disclaimer: 

All material contained herein is provided for general information purposes only and should not be considered medical advice or consultation. Contact a reputable healthcare practitioner if you are in need of medical care.

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