Yarrow is one of those unassuming weeds you find in ditches, pastures, in your yard and fence lines.
But you won’t want to kill this weed, this is one you want to keep.
This weekend we were processing chickens. While Todd was dispatching a chicken he cut his thumb.
He didn’t just cut his thumb, he cut it bad, on the knuckle and to the bone.
It bled profusely and we couldn’t get it to stop long enough to even see it.
He wrapped it in paper towels and ran cold water over it, but nothing helped.
I had a jar of dried yarrow I picked last year. So I put a teaspoon or 2 of the dried herb directly on the cut.
Yarrow Instantly stopped the bleeding.
And I do mean INSTANTLY.
That’s one of the things this amazing herb is known for.
We let it sit on his cut for just a few minutes while I gathered everything else we needed to doctor his thumb. Things like alcohol, bandages, vet’s glue and duct tape.
Yes, duct tape. Duct tape and glue should be in everybody’s med kit.
Once we had everything, we washed the yarrow off and could finally see the cut. After making sure we washed it clean we poured alcohol on it, then blotted and dried it off after a minute.
Then we used the vet glue to glue it together like stitches. We bandaged it and duct taped the bandage on. Then covered that hand in a surgical glove.
Amazingly enough we were able to finish another 32 birds that day.
Today the cut is clean and healing well. There’s no redness at all.
It’s still a little swollen and sore, but it was a big trauma so that’s to be expected.
Yarrow has been used on battlefields for thousands of years to help stop the bleeding and soldiers carried pouches of it into battle until as late as WW1.
Aside from Yarrow’s miraculous ability to stop bleeding here are a few of its other attributes.
For your mouth.
As an astringent, yarrow tightens and tones tissues. This includes the gums. Because of this, a yarrow tea can make a great mouthwash.
And it’s an antimicrobial and an antiseptic, both of which are great for oral health.
For a Toothache
Chewing on yarrow root is said to numb a tooth ache. I’ve read this from many trusted sources, so I don’t doubt it, but I’ve never had an occasion to try it.
It’ll be my go to if (when) I ever have another tooth ache.
But I’ve also heard it’s fun to give it to someone who doesn’t know about the numbing effect and see what happens. Might have to try that too.😉
Yarrow for cold and flu symptoms
At the end of last year Todd & I both sick….at the same time.
Yeah, that sucked big time.
I was sick about a week before Todd, so chores were passed from one to the other of us as we were able to handle them.
While I was sick I drank a tea blend with yarrow because it’s great for helping the fever process.
It helps move the blood and promotes circulation which moves the heat of a fever from your core to the periphery or your outer body.
A fever is part of the body’s immune response. It makes your body less hospitable to the virus attacking it. Yarrow moves that heat throughout the body making the fever more effective in doing its job.
Because of it’s astringent properties, it’s great for a sore throat, along with some sage and/or rosemary. Both of which are great for a sore throat too and they help temper yarrow’s astringent taste.
All of these are easy to obtain or you probably already have them in your kitchen cabinet. They’re great to have them at the ready when or if they become necessary.
And again it’s antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties can help alleviate any secondary infections that might try to set in due to stuck mucus in the sinuses or lungs.
Yarrow
(Achillea Millefolium)
It’s name gives a hint to what this flower is and what it does.
Folklore says the “Achillea” in it’s name refers to Achilles, the Greek God, known to be the bravest & greatest warrior of the army of Agamemnon in the Trojan War. It is said Achilles relied on this herb to heal his warriors wounded in battle.
Millefolium is, well, a thousand leaves. You can see from the picture where that comes from. It has beautiful fern like leaves, which is what first caught my attention.
Yarrow grows all over in our area and it’s easy to find.
But always make sure you know what your using before you use it. Peterson’s Field Guides are great books to always have on hand when you’re wildcrafting weeds for home use.
I have a couple of different ones. They really aren’t that expensive and you’ll find yourself using them over and over again, so they really are worth it.
Let me know if you’ve ever had an occasion to use Yarrow. I’d love to hear your experience with it.
If not, I hope this is some information you can put to good use, but never need to.