Yarrow – The Herb for Wounded Soldiers

WHILE tyrants sit enthron'd in state,

With trophies at their feet,

And fawning courtiers round them wait,

With adulation sweet!

Informing them in pompous strain,

Of feats achieved in war,

That will immortalize their reign,

And spread their fame afar.

Ah! little reckon they the woe

To many thousands wrought,

Who bleed and die, to crown their brow

With laurels dearly bought!

                       - Christian Milne (1773-1816)

When strolling through gardens or working in them, the sight and fragrance of particular herbs often bring to mind some associated musings. Yarrow conjures images in my mind of wounded warriors who suffer for the folly of others.

Because Yarrow was well known for its ability to staunch the flow of blood, Linnaeus named it Achillea, after Achilles the famous warrior, for it was he who famously used a common herb to treat the wounds of his soldier, Patroclus. But it’s not only for fighters.

The property that makes Yarrow so useful is its astringency. “Astringent” means “to bind fast.” Yarrow, when applied, causes tissue to draw tight and stops bleeding. Not surprisingly, Yarrow is sometimes called Staunchweed, Soldier's Woundwort or Herbe Militaris,

Yarrow grows wild worldwide, so it’s readily available in many locales. However, a patch of Yarrow in your own garden makes it much more accessible.

Purchase good quality plants in small containers.

Yarrow has deep roots, so they need a minimum of 8” of topsoil. If your landscape only has a thin layer, plant in raised beds or terracotta pots. Adjust pH to test between 6 and 8.

Cultivating deeply, removing all traces of weeds. Add enough soil to raise the bed at least 4" above the surrounding ground level. This will promote good drainage. Add compost or 5-10-15 fertilizer at the rate of 2 lbs. per 100 square feet into the top 4" to 6" of soil. Do not allow synthetic fertilizer to contact the plant.

Plant Yarrow 1' to 2' apart. The planting holes should be a little less deep than the depth of the container your plants came in. Tuck the plants into the holes and back-fill, watering as you go. The tops of the root balls should remain slightly exposed. Add mulch around the plants, not on top of them, about 1" deep.

Yarrow will soon be a valued addition to your outdoor “medicine cabinet.”

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A push toward wind energy threatens to kill more eagles.

 

A compelling article by Tate Watkins published in "Reason Magazine" takes note of the fact that wind turbines do more damage to birds than we imagine. "The Case for Tradeable Permits in Dead Birds" argues, "Many politicians and conservationists have high hopes of replacing fossil fuels with clean energy, but from a bird's eye view, wind turbine blades are deadly. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that wind turbines kill almost 328,000 birds each year." Imagine how dangerous it could be to fly through the chopping action of a wind turbine farm.

"Earlier this year, one of the largest renewable energy companies in the country was fined $8 million for unintentionally killing 150 bald and golden eagles at wind farms in eight states over recent years. But, if the company had held a permit from the service, it would not have been penalized. A smarter, market-based permitting approach could motivate wind developers to conserve eagles even as the sector expands."

Read more.