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 | MilfoilAchillea millefolium |
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| Other names: | Yarrow, thousand weed, bloodwort, yarroway, woundwort, carpenter's weed, sanguinary.
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| Description: | Milfoil is a perennial herb with several angular stems. The leaves are alternate and are very finely cut, giving the milfoil leaves a feathery appearance (hence the name milfoil). Milfoil flowers, which appear in summer, are white or pale lilac in colour.
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| Parts used: | The whole milfoil plant (stems, leaves and flowers) or only the flowers are used. The milfoil is harvested and dried when in flower.
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| Phytochemicals: | Triterpenes, Salicylic acid, Coumarins, Tannins, Betonicine, Stachydrine, Achillicin, Flavonoids
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| Medicinal properties: | Milfoil is used to treat arthritis, colds and fevers. Milfoil is also used to treat hypertension and lack of appetite. Milfoil is a general tonic for the cardio-vascular system and helps to lower blood pressure.
Because of its anti-bacterial properties, milfoil is used to treat dysentary and diarrhoea.
Milfoil is used by women to ease menstruation.
| | Other facts: | Milfoil grown naturally in Europe and Western Asia. Form the wild milfoil; many cultivated species have been bred. Yarrow can endure dry and impoverished soil and survive with little maintenance. It is also know as a weed in lawns.
Milfoil is one of the most popular of herbs used in herbal medicine.
When the milfoil plant is crushed it releases an unmistakable odour. When cows eat milfoil, the milk produced will have an unpleasant taste.
Milfoil has been used as a medicine for ages. Legend tells that Achilles used milfoil herb to heal the wounds of his soldiers. Dioscorides, a Greek physician, recommended milfoil to treat skin ulcers to reduce inflammation.
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