Yarrow: The 68th Flower of Spring & Summer!

Flower buds can be as dramatic as a blossom, and to me, this Yarrow looks like popcorn tightly covered with spider webs, surrounded by soft green, feathery fronds. I'll be showing the blossoms in the next week or so, and if you've never seen this flower, you'll be surprised to see what it looks like when this Yarrow's petals open wide!

Yarrow is found all over the Northern Hemisphere and in the southwestern United States, it's also known as plumajillo, or "little feather" because of the shape of its leaves. This flower is known by many names, including "herbal militaris" because of its use in stopping blood flow. In fact, Yarrow is an extremely valuable medicinal herb and is used in the treatment of seemingly countless ailments! Yarrow is also used in shampoo, though overuse can cause one's skin to become overly sensitive to sunlight. It's also used in teas as a sedative. And it's even used in various liquors and bitters! In fact, there are so many uses for Yarrow that it seems like one of those "miracle elixers" that can cure everything and be used for anything! Yet, the list of things this herb is used for is amazing! I had no idea that this common, beautiful flower is so powerful as a medicinal herb and more!

If you'd like additional information about this awesome flower, Wiki has an excellent page here: Wiki: Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)