Achillea millefolium, August 1, 2023
Common & scientific name
Yarrow, Achillea millefolium
Family
Sunflower, Asteraceae
Location
Roadside, 11,500’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Yarrow is a circumboreal species (distributed throughout the Northern hemisphere, including Europe and Asia). In North America, it is found from the coast, or zero feet in elevation, to the alpine. The genus Achillea was named after Achilles, who used plant extracts to treat soldiers’ wounds in the battle of Troy, a nod to Yarrow’s many medicinal uses. “Millefolium” means “a thousand leaves” in Latin, referring to its feathery, fern-like leaves.