Summary ⁸

Achillea millefolium, commonly known as yarrow /ˈjæroʊ/ or common yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe, and North America. It has been introduced as a feed for livestock in places like New Zealand and Australia. However, it is a weed in those places and sometimes also in its native regions.

Description ⁹

• Flower: White rounded cluster
• Leaves: feathery and fern-like, up to 6 inches long and 1 inch across, become smaller towards the top of stem
• Fruit/Seed: dry seed 1 to 2 mm long
• Height: 1-3 feet
• Flowering: June - September
• Habitat: fields, prairies, open woods, roadsides

Distribution and habitat ¹⁰

Yarrow grows from sea level to 3,500 m (11,500 ft) in elevation. The plant commonly flowers from May to July. Common yarrow is frequently found in the mildly disturbed soil of grasslands and open forests. Active growth occurs in the spring.

In North America, both native and introduced genotypes, and both diploid and polyploid plants are found.

Ecology/Wildlife Use ⁸

Several cavity-nesting birds, including the common starling, use yarrow to line their nests. Experiments conducted on the tree swallow, which does not use yarrow, suggest that adding yarrow to nests inhibits the growth of parasites.

The nectar and pollen of the flowerheads attract a wide variety of insects, including bees, wasps, ants, flies, beetles, butterflies, moths, and true bugs (Robertson, 1929, and others). Several species of grasshoppers feed destructively on Yarrow in open areas. (Source: Illinoiswildflowers.info)

Read More ¹¹

• http://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?taxonid=277129
• https://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/weeds/plants/yarrow.htm
• https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ACMI2

Sources and Credits

1. AnRo0002, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20161027Achillea_millefolium4.jpg
2. (c) SAplants, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Achillea_millefolium_5Dsr_9042.jpg
3. (c) David, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by David
4. AnRo0002, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20170428Achillea_millefolium3.jpg
5. AnRo0002, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20190819Achillea_millefolium.jpg
6. AnRo0002, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20160816Achillea_millefolium1.jpg
7. AnRo0002, no known copyright restrictions (public domain), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:20141207Achillea_millefolium2.jpg
8. Adapted by Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achillea_millefolium
9. (c) Minnesota Scientific and Natural Areas, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://www.inaturalist.org/guide_taxa/1167964
10. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achillea_millefolium
11. (c) Murfreesboro,TN, Natural Resource Division, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA)

More Info

• iNat taxon page
• African Plants - a photo guide
• Atlas of Living Australia
• Biodiversity Heritage Library
• BOLD Systems BIN search
• Calflora
• CalPhotos
• Catalogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia
• eFloras.org
• Flora Digital de Portugal
• Flora of North America (beta)
• Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)
• Go Botany
• HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants
• IPNI (with links to POWO, WFO, and BHL)
• Jepson eFlora
• Maryland Biodiversity Project
• NatureServe Explorer 2.0
• NBN Atlas
• New Zealand Plant Conservation Network
• OregonFlora.org
• SEINet Symbiota portals
• Tropicos
• USDA PLANTS database
• VASCAN by Canadensys
• World Flora Online
• 日本のレッドデータ検索システム
• 植物和名−学名インデックス YList

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