The Yarrow Plant:
Its Healing Properties

The common yarrow (Achillea millefolium), also called milfoil, has white flowers in the wild, but there are also pinkish varieties in cultivation.

Yarrow was a love charm of high repute, and in Greek mythology Achilles (hence the generic name) used the plant to heal the wounds of his soldiers and to stop bleeding. Native Americans also used the plant medicinally, particularly as a treatment for earache.

The flowers and leaves of the yarrow plant are especially beneficial for the whole metabolic process, says Rolf Stühmer in his book The Big Book of Health. Two yarrow tea cures of two to three days purify the blood and should be carried out every six months. At the same time yarrow eases cramps in the gastrointestinal tract and dispels flatulence.

It is advised to drink yarrow tea in moderation as a person can suffer from the side effects if yarrow is used too frequently.

The yarrow plant is also valued by women who suffer from heavy periods and white discharge.

Wounds and inflammations should always be treated with yarrow, says Stühmer. The same applies for hemorrhoids and varicose veins. Yarrow hipbaths accelerate the healing process with hemorrhoids.