Entire legends go about the beneficial properties of yarrow. Indeed, this plant has a lot of useful properties. It has been known since ancient times, however, and now has not lost its relevance for medical and cosmetic purposes. There are also many yarrow medicines. The article will discuss what this plant is, what it is used for, where the yarrow grows, and much more.
General characteristics of the plant
So, let's start the story of what yarrow is. This is a fairly extensive plant genus that appeared in time immemorial. It belongs to the Astrov family. Sometimes you can hear their other name - Asteraceae. The genus is divided into countless species; in total there are about 100.
I wonder what the plant looks like? Yarrow is a perennial herb, sometimes even a shrub that has a rhizome. The plant has a straight stem, however, sometimes there are specimens in which it is slightly curved. Yarrow leaves have a dentate shape. Inflorescences are small baskets that together form a large inflorescence.
Many are interested in the following question: where does the yarrow grow? Most species are known to grow in Eurasia, some of which were first seen in North America. This plant, as already mentioned, has long been used for medicinal purposes.
origin of name
Interestingly, since ancient times, the yarrow has been surrounded by a large number of stories and legends. It is believed that Achilles - a famous ancient Greek hero, used this plant to treat the severe wounds of his soldiers. Perhaps that is why the yarrow is called Achillea. Among the people, he also had many different names, for example, “yarrow of the knights”, “consumptive grass” and many others. Thus, it becomes clear that it was used to treat not only wounds, but also many other ailments.
There is another interesting fact. In most cases, the ancient Romans planted yarrow near their military settlements. After major battles, they healed wounds. Also often it was possible to meet this plant near workshops of artisans and workers. In case of injuries, the first thing people applied was a leaf dressing to a sore spot. Thus, it was always possible to understand that in the place where the yarrow grows, it appeared completely by chance.
Plant species
Yarrow includes a lot of species. Each of them has features and has its own characteristic properties.
For example, a species such as yarrow is well known. It is rare and occurs only in strictly defined places. In natural conditions, it can be seen only in the reserve called "Stone Graves". It is also grown in several botanical gardens. In nature, it grows on rocks made of granite. You can find both a single plant and a whole group scattered on the slopes.
Perhaps the most common species is the yarrow. Actually, this becomes clear from its name. It is a typical species of the entire genus. Unlike the previous naked yarrow that we examined, this variety is very common. It grows mainly in Europe and Asia. In Russia, in almost all regions, such a yarrow is found. A photo of this variety of plants can be seen in our article (below).
What other types can be found?
So, we have listed several species, but completely forgot to mention one of them. This is a noble yarrow. Undoubtedly, it is of particular interest for many reasons. Now it’s worth talking about it in more detail. He, like the yarrow, has a huge amount of medicinal properties. The noble yarrow blooms almost all summer, from June to August. It can be found almost throughout Russia.
We did not consider another interesting species of this plant - the yarrow loosestrife. It is also perennial; its flowering time is from July to September. Most often found in the European part of our country, sometimes in Siberia and the Far East.
Thus, we examined the main types of such a wonderful plant as yarrow. Photos of many of them can be found in various medical sources, encyclopedias and other materials. And now it's time to get acquainted in more detail with the places where you can see this plant.
Where the yarrow grows: a detailed excursion
Of course, this question cannot be answered unambiguously, since each species has its own range. Let's try to talk about each variety separately. For example, yarrow loosestrife prefers rather damp places. Most often grows in swamps, near water bodies, as well as on their shores. It is interesting that it can be both fresh and ponds with brackish water.
Yarrow prefers a few other places. It is common in forests and steppes. Also found in the forest-steppe zone. Often this plant can be seen along the roads, at the edges of the forest, among shrubs, along the banks of ponds, in ravines, meadow steppes, on the outskirts of fields and in many other places. It is found in settlements.
As for the noble yarrow, he prefers places like steppe slopes, roads.
