Achillea

Yarrow
Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Asterales Family: Asteraceae Genus: Achillea L.
Species
many, see text

Achillea is a genus of flowering plants,commonly referred to as yarrow, that are frequently used in garden borders and beds in ornamental horticulture. They occur in Europe and temperate areas of Asia. A few grow in North America. These plants typically have frilly, hairy, aromatic leaves.

These plants show large, flat clusters of small flowers at the top of the stem. These flowers can be white, yellow, orange, pink or red. A number of species are popular garden plants.

The genus was named for the Greek mythological character Achilles. According to the Illiad, Achilles' soldiers used yarrow to treat wounds [1], hence some of its common names such as allheal and bloodwort.

Achillea species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species - see list of Lepidoptera which feed on Achillea.

Species

• Achillea abrotanoides
• Achillea ageratifolia : Balkan Yarrow, Greek Yarrow
• Achillea ageratum : Sweet Yarrow
• Achillea albicaulis
• Achillea aleppica
• Achillea ambrosiaca
• Achillea armenorum
• Achillea asplenifolia
• Achillea atrata
• Achillea aucheri
• Achillea barbeyana
• Achillea barrelieri

Achillea asplenifolia

• Achillea biebersteinii
• Achillea brachyphylla
• Achillea bulgarica
• Achillea cartilaginea : Silver Spray Yarrow
• Achillea chrysocoma
• Achillea clavennae : Silvery Yarrow
• Achillea clusiana
• Achillea clypeolata
• Achillea coarctata
• Achillea collina
• Achillea cretica
• Achillea crithmifolia
• Achillea cucullata
• Achillea decolorans = synonym of Achillea ageratum Garden Mace

Silvery Yarrow (Achillea clavenae)

• Achillea depressa
• Achillea distans : Alps Yarrow
• Achillea erba-rotta : Musk Milfoil
• Achillea falcata
• Achillea filipendulina Fernleaf Yarrow
• Achillea fraasii : Filigree Yarrow
• Achillea fragantissima
• Achillea lewisii
• Achillea goniocephala
• Achillea grandiflora
• Achillea griseovirens
• Achillea gypsicola
• Achillea holosericea

Purple yarrow

White yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

• Achillea horanszkyi
• Achillea huteri
• Achillea kelleri
• Achillea kotschyi
• Achillea lanulosa : White Yarrow
• Achillea ligustica : Ligurian Yarrow
• Achillea lingulata
• Achillea macrophylla : Broad-leaved Yarrow
• Achillea membranacea
• Achillea micrantha
• Achillea millefolium : Milfoil, Yarrow, Allheal, Thousand-leaf, Bloodwort, Carpenter's Grass, Cammock, Green arrow, Gordoloba, Plumajillo, Sneezeweed, Nosebleed, Green Adder's Mouth, Soldier's Woundwort, Dog Daisy, Old-man's-pepper
  • Achillea millefolium alpicola : Common Yarrow
  • Achillea millefolium arenicola : Common Yarrow
  • Achillea millefolium borealis : Boreal Yarrow, Northern Yarrow
  • Achillea millefolium californica : California Yarrow, Western Yarrow
  • Achillea millefolium gigantea : Giant Yarrow
  • Achillea millefolium litoralis : Coast Yarrow
  • Achillea millefolium megacephala : Largehead Yarrow
  • Achillea millefolium millefolium : Common Yarrow
  • Achillea millefolium nigrescens : Common Yarrow
  • Achillea millefolium occidentalis : Western Yarrow
  • Achillea millefolium pacifica : Pacific Yarrow
  • Achillea millefolium puberula : Common Yarrow
• Achillea mongolica = synonym of Achillea sibirica
• Achillea monocephala
• Achillea moschata : Musk Milfoil, Forest Lady's Herb
• Achillea nana : Dwarf Alpine Yarrow
• Achillea nobilis : Noble Yarrow, Creamy Yarrow
• Achillea ochroleuca
• Achillea odorata
• Achillea oxyloba
• Achillea oxyodonta
• Achillea pannonica
• Achillea phrygia
• Achillea ptarmica : Sneezewort, Sneezeweed, Seezewort Yarrow, Bachelor's Buttons

Sweet Yarrow (Achillea ageratum)

• Achillea pyrenaica
• Achillea roseo-alba
• Achillea rupestris
• Achillea santolina
• Achillea schischkinii
• Achillea sedelmeyeriana
• Achillea setacea
• Achillea sibirica : Siberian Yarrow
• Achillea sintenisii
• Achillea sipikorensis
• Achillea sudetica = synonym of Achillea millefolium alpestris
• Achillea sulpherea
• Achillea talagonica
• Achillea taygetea

Fernleaf Yarrow (Achillea filipendula)

• Achillea tenuifolia = synonym of Achillea millefolium millefolium
• Achillea tomentosa : Woolly Yarrow
• Achillea tzsonii
• Achillea umbellata
• Achillea vermicularis
• Achillea vermiculata
• Achillea virescens
• Achillea wilhelmsii
• Achillea wilsoniana : Wilson's Yarrow

References

• Why was yarrow named for Achilles? (killerplants.com)

External links

Section Herbal information

• Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) HerbMed
• Yarrow Herbalist David Hoffmann @ Health World

Section Eclectic herbal information

• Achillea millefolium (Yarrow) King's American Dispensatory @ Henriette's Herbal
• Yarrow Mrs. Grieve's "A Modern Herbal" @ Botanical.com