LuAnn@CVH
Feb 12

Yarrow

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Edited: Mar 10

Botanical Name: Achillea millefolilum

Energetics:  Harmonizing, with tendency towards cooling, drying

Major Properties: Styptic (stops bleeding), analgesic (stops pain), anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, vulnerary (heals wounds) - a very short list of yarrow's major properties! 

Examples of Uses: Control bleeding (external or internal), relieve pain, break up bruising, make fevers productive, lower blood pressure

 

Parts Used: Upper aerial parts when at full bloom and vibrant

Preparations:

Tincture

Oil

Dried (for teas or winter use)

 

Personal Observations:

 

Yarrow can be as useful to us as it was to Civil War soldiers who carried it into battle to staunch bleeding from wounds.  Not only is it a styptic (that is, it stops bleeding), but it is also antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, and thus also promotes and speeds healing.  To use it, simply gather some yarrow leaves, mash them up with your fingers or teeth, and hold on the wound.  

Yarrow also helps restore healthy blood flow to a bruised area.  Try this experiment the next time you experience a bruise:  apply yarrow to half of the bruised area and see if it disappears more quickly.  In addition, yarrow helps alleviate the pain associated with a wound or bruising – another great benefit when hiking.

Yarrow, along with plantain, are my go-to herbs for first aid needs. Yarrow stops bleeding very quickly. Along with plantain, it will help to close up the wounds, too. I lean toward using plantain for oozing, dirty wounds and yarrow for clean bleeds.

I make several quarts of yarrow tincture each summer for spraying on bruises - mine and my grandkids. I often tell my kids to just let my grand boys bathe in yarrow after going rollerskating! Although that would be a bit much, I do encourage adding some yarrow to the bath water and let them soak a bit.

Yarrow ointment is also great to keep in the bathroom for shaving nicks or in a shop for cuts or burns.

Yarrow is part of a tincture fever blend that I make with equal parts of yarrow, elderflower, and peppermint.

Great podcast about yarrow that is well worth your time: https://kpfa.org/episode/the-herbal-highway-june-8-2017/?fbclid=IwAR15EgEYrswp-nvD1dqmW6i8P2dB3ax7aFMFYhGVyQYw2ZLnzmFqNJns3fA

 

This brief overview merely highlights my observations.  There is, of course, a great deal of information that you can find on the Internet or in books.  Or better yet - get together with other herbalists and share your experiences!

 

Please add your own experiences so that together we can create a more comprehensive overview.

 

As always, if you have a chronic ailment that is not resolving itself or an acute issue, seek the attention of your physician.

New Posts
  • LuAnn@CVH
    Apr 10

    Anise Hyssop

    Just setting up some pages so we can share information. I'll list specifics here soon. All suggestions are very welcome! Both for the plant and for how to set up this forum. Botanical Name : Agastache foeniculum Energetics : Slightly warming, very drying Major Properties :  Antiemetic, antiviral, antifungal Examples of Uses: Summer colds, nausea, vomiting, edema Parts Used : Leaves and flowers Preparations: Fresh - eat a leaf for relief from those damp, boggy summer colds that seem to linger forever! Tea - another very tasty way for relief or prevention of summer colds. I've wondered how it might even help with the watery eyes of allergies? Tincture - of leaves and flowers Honey - add flowers for a lovely flavored and scented herbal honey. Add fresh or dried flowers to ice cream or sorbet recipes, iced tea, sprinkled on salads Dry for winter use Personal Observations : Anise Hyssop (AH) is one of my favorite garden plants. It has a lovely scent - consider planting along a walking path where one can brush against its foliage and be delighted by its fragrance. And it makes the most delicious tea, too. I'll often make a summer tea with AH, lemon balm, and fresh stevia leaf (I don't like the taste and especially aftertaste of powdered stevia). It is also lovely as an iced tea and works equally well in a cold decoction or sun tea. As far as medicinal uses, it is my go-to for summer colds - those colds that linger with full, drippy nasal passages and heaviness and you just feel yucky. AH is a very drying plant, one of the most drying plants in our herbal apothecary, so if very efficient at relieving those congested, drippy, heavy kinds of colds. If you often get summer colds, you could also try drinking AH tea regularly as a preventative measure. I, personally, don't use AH tincture or tea much in the winter when the air can be quite dry, as AH is then too drying for me. However, in the humidity of summer, it is particularly useful for most persons.
  • LuAnn@CVH
    Mar 10

    Cleavers

    Botanical Name : Galium aparine Energetics :  Cooling, moistening Major Properties : Lymphatic, relaxing, detoxifier Examples of Uses: easing issues with urination, kidney and prostate issues, lymph mover, dryness Parts Used : Aerial parts early in season while still vibrant Preparations: Tincture (I've only used it as a tincture) Can also be used as a cold infusion - pour cold water over freshly gathered aerial parts, cap tightly, let sit overnight and sip through next day. Personal Observations : Gentle lymphatic cleanser, fantastic spring tonic, helping clean up our system after winter. Promotes lymphatic flow and helps rid the lymphatic system of of metabolic waste. Great for issues with adenoids and tonsils Often useful for leaky bladder, excessive nighttime peeing Issues with urination, prostate, kidneys Kidney stones – breaks stone, dissolves deposits, clears tubules Folk remedy for mouth sores, canker sores, wash for canker sores - wash of tea. Hair tonic - high in silica I've had some success with using cleavers for seasonal allergies, also. Great article by local herbalist, Erin Piorier: https://minnesotaherbalist.com/2015/06/15/cleavers-a-moistening-spring-lymph-remedy-that-transforms-stuckness-into-flow/?fbclid=IwAR3WUMwO64vTLTCiI5QDmivKXNd3_M4J6rNW_BAZLxlvic0jjeki3bPgWL4 This brief overview merely highlights my observations.  There is, of course, a great deal of information that you can find on the Internet or in books.  Or better yet - get together with other herbalists and share your experiences! Please add your own experiences so that together we can create a more comprehensive overview. As always, if you have a chronic ailment that is not resolving itself or an acute issue, seek the attention of your physician.
  • LuAnn@CVH
    Mar 10

    Linden Flower

    Botanical Name : Tilia cordata Energetics :  Cooling, drying Major Properties : Nervine, hypotensive Examples of Uses: Headache caused by tension, hypertension, fever reducer Parts Used : Flowers and bracts Preparations: Tincture Dry - for tea throughout the year - lovely taste. However, tea made with fresh blossoms tastes far better than tea made with dry. Makes a lovely iced tea for the summer, too. Cooling both by the temp of the beverage and the cooling effects of linden flower itself. Honey - loosely fill a jar about 3/4 full of fresh (but dry to avoid mold)) flowers and then add honey to the top. Cap tightly. Fresh flowers are definitely best for maximum sweet flavor and scent. So very lovely. I use it just on toast, in tea, medicinally as a throat coat if needed for soothing. I usually make a quart of this every year. Personal Observations : I've used it for reducing fever if it is making person miserable and they need some relief. Otherwise, I think a fewer is good for burning off a virus. Have had good results for high blood pressure and headaches caused by HBP or tension. Studies show it helps by slowing down the overactive molecules. Erin Piorier wrote an article on Linden Flower. Here's a link: https://minnesotaherbalist.com/2016/06/17/linden-the-sweet-cooling-harbinger-of-midsummer/?fbclid=IwAR1Eya7brqIU6uJZS3YBRi5z_hu-R3fXb3WvZ3Tiy0QfO1Cm8ljXjVJFAQo This brief overview merely highlights my observations.  There is, of course, a great deal of information that you can find on the Internet or in books.  Or better yet - get together with other herbalists and share your experiences! Please add your own experiences so that together we can create a more comprehensive overview. As always, if you have a chronic ailment that is not resolving itself or an acute issue, seek the attention of your physician.

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