Tag Archives: yarrow

Yarrow tested first hand

Posted on by
1

I do not have luck with manual can openers. They all seem to leave a little connection; never a clean cut around the entire can. I have even shopped around and bought supposedly, “new and improved” can openers, but after awhile they all leave a small frustrating connection.

The other day while making supper, I made a mistake. I was in a rush and had very little patience while opening a can. Instead of slowing down, focusing on the little connection and getting a good grip on the can opener or use a proper tool to release the little connection, I attacked the connection with a chopstick. As it popped up my thumb slid into the can with a very sharp edge. It was a bloody mess.

white yarrowI immediately ran cold water over my thumb for a minute or two then quickly grabbed a towel, wrapped my thumb, applied pressure, held my hand above my heart and ran to my garden where I picked and “bruised” several Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) leaves. I slowly opened the towel, wrapped my thumb in the Yarrow leaves with the towel around it, and held my hand above my heart.

Mathew finished making dinner, thank goodness all the cans had already been opened. After dinner was made and we were waiting for Mike to come home, I looked at my thumb. The bleeding had stopped thanks to Yarrow’s amazing hemostatic abilities. I was very impressed as there was a lot of blood when I first cut it. Since the bleeding had stopped, I took the opportunity to look at the damage. I suspect some people with a similar wound would have gone to the doctor for a couple of stitches, but I decided that it would heal okay on its own. I guess I’ll see. I found a couple more fresh Yarrow leaves, bruised them, wrapped them around my thumb and taped a gauze patch around my thumb. Along with having great hemostatic powers, Yarrow is a powerful antiseptic.

close up yarrow

After dinner, I removed the bandage, still no bleeding so I simply put a regular band-aid around my thumb. It was still rather tender but in good shape. The next morning, I was rather impressed at how well the healing process was going.

The day after

The day after

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a week, it barely looked like a scratch.

A week after

A week after

I highly recommend that you learn how to identify Yarrow: once you do, you’ll find it is an excellent first aid herb. It can help you in a pinch (or cut, or a slice…). After all, I do have first hand knowledge of it (pun intended).

All information is shared for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition.

Up your nose with Yarrow

Posted on by
2

The other day Mathew came to me and told me his nose was bleeding.

Here’s how our conversation went:

Me: “What happened?”

Mathew: “Well, I was picking my nose like I usually do and I pulled out a big piece and it had blood on it.”

Me: “What did you do with it?”

Mathew: “I ate it of course.”

Me: “Can I put yarrow up your nose to stop the bleeding?”

Mathew: “Sure.”

Mathew with yarrow up his nose to stop the bleeding

I picked several long yarrow leaves and crushed them between my fingers to release the alkaloids, which have styptic/ hemostatic properties; in other words, the alkaloids help stop bleeding. I gently put the long leaves up each nostril making sure part of it was still hanging out for easy removal.  Within two minutes, the bleeding had stopped.

Two minutes later – no more bloody nose

I didn’t really know Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), before this year. I bought some for my garden since we didn’t have any growing on our land. One benefit among yarrow’s many is that its roots’ secretions will activate the disease resistance of nearby plants; and it intensifies the medicinal actions of herbs; therefore, making healing plants more powerful. It seemed like a good plant for our medicinal garden.

Unfortunately, after it was planted, and started to bloom, I noticed the blossoms were a beautiful deep red, not cream colored, which I read has the strongest medicinal properties. In general, ornamental species are bred for smell or color, not usually for medicinal value. Fortunately, the variety of yarrow we have still has the hemostatic properties we need for a bloody nose.

Yarrow’s uses have been noted throughout history. It’s Latin name, Achillea millefolium, is derived from Achilles, the Greek god who used this versatile herb to stop wounds from bleeding during the Trojan wars. It was once a sacred plant in ancient China, as it was valued as the perfect union of yin and yang energies, because the hard strong stem is filled with a soft pith. Interestingly, the 50 wooden sticks in the I-Ching ritual, which are used to make key decisions, were made from yarrow stems.

Yarrow’s folk name – nosebleed – also attests to its long-standing use as a styptic to stop bleeding.  In addition, it has the ability to stop blood flow internally as well as externally. Today, yarrow is one of the best-known herbal remedies for fevers, the flu, stomachaches, sore throats, menstrual problems, as well as to improve circulation and strengthen weak veins.

Recently, I read that yarrow is a great insect repellent. So, I have tinctured some and will let you know how that works out. I look forward to getting better acquainted with yarrow. Please share your experiences, too.

PS: Mathew gave his permission to print this very personal blog.

 All information is shared for educational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or treat any condition.