seeds of Achillea millefolium, Yarrow

Achillea millefolium, also known as Achillea albida Willd and Achillea ambigua Boiss, is the flowering plant commonly known as Yarrow. A member of the family Asteraceae, this flowering plant is indigenous to Europe, Asia and Northern America. The regions this plant tends to be native to are of the temperate variety. The many names that Achillea millefolium goes by include Old man’s pepper, Milfoil, Nosebleed plant, Devil’s nettle and Gordaldo. Plants grow to varying heights that range from between 0.2 and 1 m. In addition to having a rhizomatous manner of growth, the plant also has an even distribution of leaves along its stem. The leaves at the base of the stem are the largest and reduce in size the further up you go. The plant’s inflorescence has phyllaries that number from 4-9 and has disk and ray flowers that are pink and white coloured. The flowers are 5-10 mm wide, have 5 petals each and have both female and male parts. Achillea millefolium has historically been used for medical purposes. The plant is reported to have stimulating, astringent, diaphoretic and mildly aromatic attributes that make it a useful healing agent. The plant also has a more environmentally beneficial use when cultivated to combat soil erosion. Given Achillea millefolium is drought-resistant and one can count on it to hold the soil together, so it isn’t swept away by rainfall. The plant can also be brought on board as a companion to other plants. Doing so will have the positive effect of helping to ward off harmful pests. Moreover, insects that consider the pests to be prey will also be attracted once Achillea millefolium is planted nearby. A good example is predatory wasps which are drawn to the flowers for nectar and end up attacking the pests which they attack to feed their young.