ACHILLEA

THE FOLKLORE OF PLANTS: Achillea

Lisa Karen Miller

Dried specimens of the medicinal herb Achillea (today a popular sun ornamental) were found in a 60,000-year-old Neanderthal grave. Commonly known as Yarrow, this ancient remedy for cuts and wounds is named for Achilles. It was used to make a poultice to heal his soldiers who were injured by arrows.

When he was a baby, his mother had held him by the heel to dip him in the River Styx to render him invulnerable. Inevitably, that’s where he got the arrow. Today, our “Achilles’ heel” is our most vulnerable spot.

In some cultures it is associated with witchcraft and supposedly dedicated to Satan. “Devil’s Nettle” and “Bad Man’s Plaything” was widely used in charms and spells. Also called “Devil’s Plaything,” it was thought to have been used by Old Nick himself to cast spells.

Celtic Druids used it to forecast the weather. In the Hebrides, a leaf held against the eyes endowed the person with second sight.

Chinese masters of the “I Ching” used the “stalks of divination” to predict future events. Wrapped in flannel and placed under the pillow, it was supposed to cause dreams of love. Dreaming of cabbages instead ensured misfortune.

Growing Yarrow in the herb garden is meant to strengthen the aromatic oils of other herbs. The Chinese believed that eating it would brighten the eye and promote intelligence. Its pungent foliage was dried and ground for use as an inexpensive snuff, hence the nickname “Old Man’s Pepper.”

Lovesick maidens are directed to pluck the plant from a young man’s grave and place it under their pillow to dream of their true love. It was also known as the Venus Tree:

“Thou pretty herb o Venus tree

Thy true name it is Yarrow;

Now who my bosom friend must be,

Pray tell thou me to-morrow.”

Long valued for its ability to staunch the flow of blood from wounds, its common names include “Woundwort,” “Staunchweed,” and “Carpenter’s Weed.” It was dried, powdered, and mixed with comfrey water to make a poultice. Modern tests have found that it does contain chemicals that help blood to clot.

A tea made from the leaves can alleviate cold symptoms, while distilling the flowers results in a chest rub that relieves congestion. It has also been used to lower blood pressure and treat hay fever.

Grow some Achillea this year to have sweet dreams. Only do watch out for those arrows.