Common name: Common Yarrow
Botanical name: Achillea millefolium
Achillea millefolium, commonly known as Yarrow or Common Yarrow, is a herbaceous perennial plant that is often regarded as an invasive weed. Yarrow is drought tolerant and grows well in poor soils, and is often found in waste areas, alongside roads, and in meadows and open forests.
Yarrow was used historically as an astringent, and derives its botanical name from that use. In Greek mythology, the centaur Chiron was said to have a great knowledge of healing, and he passed this knowledge on to his student Achilles. As the warrior hero of Homer’s Iliad, Achilles used Yarrow to treat the wounds of his soldiers. Thus the Yarrow genus is called Achillea.
