Medicinal Monday Boreal Yarrow

This little-known arctic plant that is native to Alaska can also be found throughout northern Canada to Maine. In Maine, it is a protected species. It has several medicinal uses that are used to treat a number of ailments.

About Boreal Yarrow

This plant is a colonizer that can be found in Alaska's meadows and fields in both wet and dry areas and can grow both in the soil as well as in gravel. It is a mat-forming perennial, that has simple toothed leaves, hairy stems, and flattened clusters of small, daisy-like flower heads. It flowers in late July and August. The flowers are white to pinkish and tend to become pinker with age. The ray and disc petals are the same color. The scientific name of this plant is Achillea millefolium var Borealis.

Medicinal Uses

The Gwich'in people used this plant for medicine. The whole plant including the flowers can be used to make a tea that relieves coughs and ulcers. A drink that prevents nosebleeds is made by boiling the white flowers in water for a few minutes. The white flowers can be crushed and placed in the nostrils to stop nosebleeds. The liquid from the boiled flowers can be used to soothe infected skin and sunburns or dry up skin rashes including eczema. A paste made from crushed flowers can be applied to insect bites. Leaves and flowers can also be crushed into a paste and put on wounds to control bleeding. The Aleut made an infusion of the leaves and used it to treat pain in the stomach, throat, and chest, and to treat colds. They would stuff the leaves in their nose to stop a nosebleed. The Costanoan made a decoction of the entire plant and used it as a wash for sores. They also made a poultice from the leaves and applied it to wounds to stop the swelling. Heated leaves were placed in the mouth to treat toothaches. Eskimo, Alaska, and the Eskimo, Nunivak used an infusion for general medicinal purposes, and the Kwakiutl used a heated poultice of leaves to relieve swelling.

Did You Know

This plant attracts bees and butterflies.

Boreal Yarrow is deer and rabbit resistant.

Twenty-Mile Germplasm boreal yarrow is ideal for seed mixes for revegetation. It provides diversity, color, and wildlife benefits. It is able to grow on poor soil and needs little surface preparation. 

The generic name Achillea is usually interpreted as a reference to Achilles, the legendary Greek hero of the Trojan War (about 1200 B.C.). He is said to have used the foliage of yarrow to stanch the flow of blood from wounded fellow soldiers. A less romantic interpretation of the genus name is that it commemorates a Greek doctor named Achilles who recorded the medicinal uses of the plant (Warwick and Black 1982).