Yarrow

Achillea millefolium( Yarrow)

Perennial plant of the Compositae family. It is distributed in almost all regions of Russia. It grows in meadows, in thickets of bushes, along the slopes of mountains, along roads, on the borders, along ravines. Folk names yarrow - Achilles, goose linguae, mverchkovaya grass, Jewish grass, tile grass and sheep's tongue.

Yarrow can have different heights, depending on the species( from 20 to 100 cm).Small flowers are collected in dense flat shields. Leaves, green or gray, are dissected into "thousands" of narrow leaves, which is why it is called "yarrow".Many people know it as a medicinal or weed plant with flowers of gray and white color, but there are species and varieties of yarrow, the flowers of which are painted in a variety of shades of pink, lilac and crimson flowers.

Here it is absolutely unpretentious and viable plant! It prefers a sunny place, drought-resistant, to the soil is absolutely undemanding, but on scanty soils the height of the inflorescence will be less. On good garden lands, yarrow grows very quickly, grow tall, blossom luxuriantly. They generally bloom abundantly and continuously from June-July to autumn.

Easily multiply by dividing the rhizomes in the spring until May 10 and in September by silt and green cuttings in June. But it is much easier to grow them from seeds, which can be sown directly to a place in the open ground throughout the season. In one place they can grow for a long time, but then they will seize the entire district, so every 3-4 years from them it is necessary to separate half and clean. Green has a bitterish smell whether wormwood, or chrysanthemum. Blossom continuously from June to September. Yarrow is well cut.

Pests on them are often attacked by a black melon aphid, and they practically do not have any diseases.

The Latin name of the yarrow Achillea originated from the name of the ancient Greek hero Achilles, who treated them for the wounds of his soldiers. The medicinal properties of the yarrow have been used since time immemorial. Its folk names speak for themselves: "consumptive grass", "grass of blood", "military grass".In Russia, he has his own name - "cutter".Yarrow was specially bred near the workshops to be on hand in case of injury or injury. He really has a powerful wound healing property, which is widely used by modern medicine. During the Middle Ages, he was even credited with the ability to spoil, so he also has nicknames: "devil's grass", "devil's nettles".
Description: plant height up to 50 cm, rhizome thin creeping branched. Stems single unbranched, or several, erect, branching only in the upper part. The leaves are lanceolate or linear, twice or thrice-drained. The stem and leaves are pubescent, silvery-green. Flowers are small, white or pink, collected in small baskets, which in turn form numerous complex shields. The flowers of the yarrow are white, pink and with a reddish tinge. It grows in dry places. The plant is fragrant. Fruits are achenes. Blooms from late June to September, the fruits ripen in July-October.

Composition of : yarrow herb contains glycosides apigenin and luteolon, amines choline, stachidrine, bitter substance achillein, essential oil, resins, organic acids, bitter, tannins, vitamin K.

Cultivation: loves the sun, otherwise unpretentious, sowing in spring, in rows at a distance of 40 cm, also propagates vegetatively by dividing old shrubs. Garden varieties of red and yellow flowers have less pronounced therapeutic properties. It grows in mixed culture with all herbaceous perennials.

There are cases when the yarrow caused a negative reaction in people predisposed to allergies to the family of Compositae.

Collection: harvests yarrow herb at the beginning of flowering plants, cut off the tops, tied in bundles and dried in a ventilated room. Especially it should be noted that only air drying is allowed. Dry grass can be stored for 2 years.

Medicinal properties of : the yarrow herb has a high bactericidal activity, and the yarrow is also known as a good hemostatic. In the people it is called a "blood" and is used for pulmonary, nasal, gastrointestinal, hemorrhoidal, uterine and external bleeding. It is quite common to use yarrow in gastrointestinal diseases, and also as bitterness to increase appetite. It is used in the treatment of gastritis, peptic ulcer of the stomach and duodenum, accompanied by digestive disorders and pain in the stomach and intestines.

Usage: as a styptic agent yarrow applied inside in the form of a liquid extract or infusion of 1 tbsp.l.3 times a day, often for the preparation of the extract, the yarrow is combined with nettle dioecious, which also exerts a haemostatic effect.

Rinses are used as an anti-inflammatory agent in diseases of the mucous membrane of Yarrow are usually included in a variety of medicinal collections and teas.

In cooking, the yarrow is used as a condiment when preparing fatty foods( for example, goose fries, meat in pots, sausages).It smells good and promotes digestion. Thinly sliced ​​young leaves mixed with soft cheese, sprinkled with salads, and added to soups and stews immediately before serving.

In the soups, add young leaves collected before flowering( in May): 1 tablespoon per 2 liters of soup. Collect the leaves with flowers( shear stems about 30 cm long at the beginning of flowering) or later collect only flowers on a short stem.
Yarrow contains essential oils, tannins, choline, chamazulene, organic acids and other substances. The complex of these substances acts as an anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory and bactericidal agent. Yarrow is used in small doses and not too often. Inside is taken in the form of a medicine that has little effect on calming the nerves, improves digestion, helps with gallbladder disease, inflammation of the respiratory tract and ureters. It is also used for washing inflamed skin and eczema.

Yarrow has a cleansing and soothing effect for oily, porous skin. It is also used in cosmetics for strengthening hair.