Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) |Also known as:||milfoil,
nosebleed, old man's mustard, Poor man's pepper, staunchweed,
yarroway| |Size||Stem length: 8 – 45 cm (occasionally up to 60
cm) (2)| Leaf length: 5 – 15 cm (2) Common and widespread: not
threatened (3). Yarrow is a common herb that has been highly
regarded for its medicinal properties in Britain since Anglo-
Saxon times (4). The erect stems are woolly and the dense,
flattened flower-heads are typically white, but more rarely they
may be pink or reddish (2). The leaves are deeply divided,
forming many small lobes (5); this feature is referred to by the
specific Latin name, millefolium, which means ‘thousand leaf’
(6). The name of the genus, Achillea is thought to have arisen
as it is said that Achilles used this herb to treat the wounds
of his soldiers. The common name ‘yarrow’ derives from the
Anglo-Saxon name for the plant, ‘gearwe’ (7). This very common
plant occurs throughout the British Isles (5). Elsewhere it is
found in Europe and western Asia, and