Using Real Herbs In Fiction: Yarrow
In the Landow Creek fiction series, the main character, Ivory, discovers the benefits of herbs for more than culinary uses. Naturally, to make the story as realistic as possible, I drew from personal experience and research.
One of the first herbs I remember learning about is yarrow. I was probably 10 years old, tramping through the woods with my aunt when she pointed to this feathery-looking plant.
“Yarrow,” she said, pointing to a patch growing in a patch of sun.
Crushing a bit in her fingertips, she held it out for me to smell. The distinctive, astringent and somewhat pungent smell tickled my nose.
“Crush it like this and put it on a cut or a bite.” Her instruction began my decades-long, off and on quest to understand the benefits of natural healing.
Yarrow, or Achillea millefolium, is a hardy perennial, native to Europe and Asia, but found in temperate regions around the world. It grows best in full sun and can be found wild in ditches but also cultivated in gardens.
The plant grows one to three feet tall with rough stems shooting out feathery gray-green leaves. Small flowers in tight clusters bloom from summer to fall, and the color may range from white to pink to lilac.
Just to reinforce my memory, I checked a reputable source for a brief tutorial on this herb.
Yarrow has long been valued for its use in staunching the flow of blood from wounds by encouraging clotting…Traditionally the herb was dried, powdered, and mixed with plantain or comfrey water (both are also wound herbs), or used fresh as a poultice, and applied to wounds that would not stop bleeding.
Foster, S., & Johnson, R. (2006). *National Geographic Desk Reference to Nature’s Medicine*. National Geographic. p. 376.
That description is exactly the kind of use my aunt taught, without the mixing in of plantain or comfrey. She simply used the crushed leaves directly on a minor wound.
When the leaves are steeped into a tea, it is also used for respiratory issues.
Yarrow contains various compounds, including achilleine, salicylic acid and flavonoids. I recognize salicylic acid as one compound found in aspirin, and flavonoids seem to be written about every other minute.
Leaves, stems, and flowers are all used in medicinal preparations. It may be steeped in hot water to make a tea, soaked in a neutral alcohol to make a tincture, used in a poultice, or the essential oil included in a topical ointment.
Like many herbal remedies, yarrow has not been fully tested and vetted. Although it contains compounds with known benefits, and has been used for centuries, this herb should be treated carefully and with personal due diligence. Special caution should be used with children, older people, those pregnant or nursing, and anyone with a compromised system.
This article should not be taken or construed as medical advice or advocacy for the use of any herbal remedies. Consult your own doctor before use.
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