Common Names: Common Yarrow, Western Yarrow, Yarrow, Milfoil
Synonyms: Achillea millefolium
Taxonomy: Sunflower (Asteraceae)
Habit: Perennial Forb
Size: up to 3’
Flowers: white
Bloom: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
Leaves: alternate compound
Fruit: cypsela, aschene
Description:
Yarrow grows to 3 feet tall and has no branches except near the top. The leaves are alternate, 3-5 inches long, with many leaflets on each side of the midrib and these are further divided into smaller leaflets, giving them a delicate, fernlike, lacy appearance. Flower heads are arranged in large, compact clusters at the top of the stem, each cluster consisting of 1 or more flower heads. The flower head has 20-25 yellowish-white (rarely pink) ray flowers and similarly colored disc flowers. There are generally 3 to 8 ray flowers, which are 1/4” long.
Distribution: Achillea millefolium is highly variable and has been treated both as a single species with varieties and as multiple distinct species. A. millefolium is cosmopolitan throughout the Northern Hemisphere. In North America, A. millefolium is a complex of both native and introduced plants and their hybrids.
Habitat: Yarrow grows from sea level to 3,500 m (11,500 ft) in elevation. Common yarrow is frequently found in the mildly disturbed soil of grasslands and open forests.
