Yarrow gets a bum rap from a lot of people. They recognize it as the plant that often grows in disturbed areas alongside the road. It does spread by rhizomes which means it can give you a nice fill of a large area quickly. Supposedly Achilles used yarrow to heal his warriors in the battle of Troy which is where it gets its name, Achillea. Native Americans found many medicinal uses for yarrow.

It’s another great bug magnet in the garden, drawing bees, wasps, and butterflies. Those flowers are great landing pads for butterflies. I love the foilage and those ferny leaves make a great native lawn either on its own, or mixed in with some native grass or, like I did today, mixed in-between the Carex Pansa growing in the backyard. You can plant an entire lawn of yarrow and it will use a lot less water than a lawn. If you want a short, more traditional looking lawn, mow it with a push mower.

I don’t feel like I captured what I wanted to here but it will help me remember where I want to go when I revise.

Yarrow
ferny feathers nest
beneath common yarrow
this weed welcome here

@copyright Susan Taylor Brown
April 26, 2009