Common yarrow’s genus, Achillea, derives from the mythical Greek character Achilles, who carried it into battle for its medicinal properties. Yarrow’s species name, millefolium, means ”thou­sand-leaf,” a reference to yarrow’s myriad tiny leaves, resembling feathers. Some of its odder common names, such as devil’s plaything, devil’s nettle, and bad man’s plaything, appar­ently stem from its use in witchcraft.

Identification: Flowers are white flat-topped or umbrella-shaped clusters. The leaves, which are sometimes hairy, are the most obvious identifying characteristic. Yarrow occurs throughout the U.S. and Canada, in grasslands and open forests. Plants reach up to 3' (91 cm) in height.

Edibility: Young yarrow leaves, which taste sweet with a bitter tinge, are said to be good when cooked like spinach, or in a soup.^[1] However, yarrow can be confused with the somewhat similar-appearing, extremely poisonous wes­tern water hemlock , so don’t eat yarrow unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Medicinal uses: Yarrow contains several chemicals which are used medically. It was believed to have healing powers and applied topically to treat wounds and staunch bleeding. An amazing number of other purported herbal uses are discussed in the Wikipedia article.

by Sigman