[mmd]

My neighbor tells me I have yarrow growing in my garden. What do you all do with it? - it's so pretty with purple flowers. Thanks much

 

[goatlady]

You might want to double check that identification. I have tons of yalow growing wild here and it's either white or yellow flowers - very medicinal. Soft, sort of ferny leaves and the flowers are heads made up of lots of teeny tiny flowers. Purple is usually echinacea (sort of a daisy shaped looking flower) or bee balm (mordant-sort of feathery looking flowers).

 

[tallpines]

There are new, domesticated species of Yarrow that come in pinks and purples-----------saw some this week at the flower shop.

Most common found in the wild is yellow or white.

 

[katydidagain]

Besides yellow (cultivated I think) and white (wild I presume), there are various new hybrid shades including purple/deep pink achillea and the ferny leaf would prove my point--probably. (I think I've finally killed mine off--no tears--pretty but worthless for drying or other uses IMHO!) If it's a mass of tiny flowers, your source may be right.

goatlady is correct: bee balm is a very different creature--erect stiff stems with real leaves and feathered flowers with a distinct odor when you rub any part of them (at least on those I grow) and often encounters powdery mildew. Echinacea looks like daisies with a hard brown center (usually).

If it's achillea, pick it and enjoy it in a nice vase or let it stay to brighten your path...

katy

 

[limhyl]

There is a cultivar called 'Summer Pastels' and as the name implies is comes in soft shades of pink, purple, yellow and white. It's much finer looking than your typical dark yellow garden yarrow and quite pretty. Yarrow is used for many things medicinally, the one that comes to mind right now is a stypic (used to stop bleeding) You can put a leaf in your nose to quell nose bleeds and some people use it to stop wounds from bleeding although that's a little harder to accomplish. It makes a great cut flower but will reseed with abondon so be carefull!!! Theresa.