Botanical Ingredient
Yarrow, White
Achillea millefolium
White yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is one of the oldest medicinal herbs on record — its use has been documented for over 60,000 years, evidenced by yarrow pollen found with Neanderthal remains at a burial site in Shanidar Cave, Iraq. Named for Achilles, who legend holds used it to staunch the wounds of his soldiers, yarrow remains one of the finest wound herbs in the botanical world. Its active compounds — achillin, azulene, and flavonoids — are strongly anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and hemostatic.
Traditional Uses
- Wound healing and staunching bleeding across global traditions
- Anti-inflammatory poultice for bruises, sprains, and skin irritation
- Traditional fever herb across European and Native American medicine
- Antimicrobial topical for minor infections
- Skin-calming treatment for eczema and irritated skin
Key Properties
Did You Know
Yarrow's botanical name, Achillea, refers to the Greek hero Achilles. Ancient accounts describe him using yarrow to treat the wounds of his soldiers during the Trojan War — a tradition echoed across countless cultures on every continent where the plant grows wild.
Our Sourcing
White yarrow grows abundantly in InVine's Florida garden, naturalizing freely once established. We harvest the aerial parts — leaves and flower heads — during full bloom when azulene and flavonoid content peak. The plant's feathery foliage and flat-topped white flower clusters are unmistakable in the garden.
Why We Use It
Yarrow is the herb that made me take traditional plant medicine seriously. When I read that yarrow pollen was found with a 60,000-year-old burial — that humans were placing this plant with their dead before recorded history — something shifted in my understanding of what botanical medicine is. This is not a trend or a wellness product. This is something humans have carried with them through the entirety of our existence. I grow yarrow because it is one of the finest wound herbs on earth, because it has been so for longer than civilization, and because having it in the garden feels like keeping a living connection to the deepest roots of herbal practice.