Yarrow, also known as bloodwort, soldier’s wort or +astpapt, is a native plant that has been used by nearly every culture in the world for medicinal purposes. It’s been used for so long is there is no exact record or its origins, with some traditions dating back to ancient times.
Like many traditional herbal medicines, the knowledge on how to use yarrow was considered private property by families. Secrecy was very important and in many instances the identity of the herbs used in a tonic or poultice were only known by the healer themselves. Often a patient wouldn’t even know what was being used on them, writes Nancy J. Turner in her 1983 study Ethnobotany of the Nitinaht Indians of Vancouver Island.
Healing and the knowledge of herbs like yarrow was inherited, passed down from a parent or grandparent to a younger member of the family.
Yarrow is an aromatic herb, 10 to 80 centimetres tall with alternating fern-like leaves. Flower heads are white or sometimes pinkish, about five millimetres across. Other varieties can be yellow or even a pale peach.
Yarrow is often found in open, sunny areas like fields, road sides and disturbed sites. It thrives in well-drained, moderately rich and acidic soil, in meadows, pastures and grasslands all across North America, Europe, Asia, and South America.
All parts of yarrow can be used medicinally. Yarrow can be eaten for nutritional value, as it is very high in Vitamins A and C as well as the minerals, zinc, magnesium, calcium and phosphorus. But the plant has a very bitter taste - too bitter for most to find appetizing.
Yarrow contains alkaloids that reduce clotting time in blood, making it a vital plant in times of war. The Makah would gather an abundance of yarrow before going off to war and would pack wounds with the herb to stop the bleeding and save their warriors’ lives. It was a staple in a hunter’s medical kit as well.
A well-made poultice of mashed leaves can staunch bleeding, aid in clotting of an open wound, treat burns, sores, boils and pimples. A wash can be made using the leaves and fresh water, which is used as an antiseptic to reduce pain and stop infection.
Fresh flowers can be picked and dried thoroughly, then stored in airtight containers for future use in tea. Yarrow was also widely used as a sedative and painkiller or for its anti-inflammatory properties. It stimulates sweating and lowers blood pressure, making it a preferred treatment for fevers, colds, sore throats, urinary tract infections and even diabetes. Ditidaht men would chew the fresh picked leaves and swallow the juice to eliminate cold symptoms, according to Turner’s 1983 study.
North American and European women alike have used a yarrow infusion - two heaping spoonfuls of the dried flowers steeped in boiling water for five minutes - for its anti-spasmatic properties. This reduces menstruation cramps, suppresses menstruation, speeds labor and heals the uterus after giving birth.
Yarrow also contains a very small amount of menthol, which has some medicinal properties but can be harmful in excess.
The flowers have a pleasant, sweet, herbaceous scent which made them a favorite amongst many North American Indigenous women, as it was infused in oil and used as a perfume, or dried and used as a bath powder. The men would use the fresh flowers rubbed under their armpits as deodorant or the fresh leaves rubbed on their skin as a mosquito repellent. Some people with sensitive skin can get a rash from the thujone in yarrow, as it is a mild neurotoxin that is responsible for the herb’s antibacterial properties. The flowers can also leave harmless white spots on the skin that could easily be mistaken for ringworm.
The flowers of yellow yarrow or golden yarrow can be simmered in water to create a light green or yellow dye often used color textiles for clothing or rugs.
Culturally, Yarrow was believed to ward off evil spirits and was hung with cedar on doors and windows. Most North American tribes use yarrow in a cultural way, and the Navajo, Anishinaabe and Blackfeet tribes even consider yarrow to be sacred.
