Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Yarrow


I love the complexity of Yarrow.
Composite flowers above dense, feathery stems.


Scattered across our open areas, it stands out easily amongst the field grasses, tall and straight.
And holds the very small, safely hidden.



From Wikipedia:
Yarrow has seen historical use as a medicine. The plant has a long history as a powerful 'healing herb' used topically for wounds, cuts and abrasions. The genus name Achillea is derived from mythical Greek character, Achilles, who reportedly carried it with his army to treat battle wounds.

Several cavity-nesting birds 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.

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29 comments:

Unknown said...

Beautiful photos. Great informative post.

Gary
Bodge's Bulletin

EG CameraGirl said...

Oh, I like yarrow too. It geows in my lawn, which I think is a good thing because my grass looks green all summer. LOL Yes, I have a LOT of yarrow in my lawn.

KGMom said...

Such a wonderful combination--complex flowers and feathery fern-like leaves.
The genus named for Achilles? I am just reading about him--in the Odyssey--Achilles in the afterlife. When Odysseus visits the land of the dead, he meets Achilles who regrets being dead, wishing he were a slave rather than dead.

Texas Travelers said...

Great close-ups.
Love the little hopper.

Terrific Y.
I didn't think of this one.
Good job.

I say Yes to Y.
Come visit our "Y's",
Troy and Martha

me ann my camera said...

Yarrow is a favourite of mine also. Very nice.
Ann at
varying seasons

Reader Wil said...

What a beautiful flower! We haven't got this flower in Holland. Good choice for Y.

Unknown said...

Excellent post Nina. I'm interested in healing so this post interested me greatly thanks a lot. Kev

Kim said...

Those flowers look so delicate and beautiful. Very nice Y post.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photos. Good Y post.

Leslie: said...

I never knew that about yarrow's healing powers! Thanks for the great educational post today.

Anonymous said...

Your post reminded me of a beautiful herb garden I once had. Yarrow was in its element at the back, growing tall, but it has a tendency to take over doesn't it.The bees loved the flowers, and I often had yarrow flowers as part of an arrangement in a little vase on the kitchen table.Thanks for sparking those memories.

Petrus said...

You are so lucky to have the Hummingbird nest so close to your home - it must be wonderful to watch

I'm envious ...

Michele said...

Absolutely stunning... so pretty!
Mountain Retreat Photos

Jane Hards Photography said...

These are so pretty and so well captured.

Anonymous said...

Beautiful photos and great information about Yarrow...

Linda said...

Lovely and informative post. Great choice.

Andrea said...

Interesting post and wonderful photos.

Texas Travelers said...

In answer to your question...

No polarizer. I was happy to find that the improved color chip and sensor filter in the D200, gives more saturated colors. I haven't used a polarizing filter since I bought the D200.

Thanks for the visit,
Troy

Bird Feeder Scott said...

Haven't had a chance to blog much lately -- really enjoyed the pictures! The colors are so vibrant.

Susan Gets Native said...

Next time I have a boo boo, I'm gonna go roll in some yarrow!

Bear Naked said...

Beautiful photos.
Thank you for your description of yarrow. I had never heard about this plant before.

Bear

mrsnesbitt said...

I had heard of it before, but now I have some useful information!

ArneA said...

Once again I learned a new word
Thanks

Mary said...

Beautiful flower, beautiful leaves, beautiful photos!!

dguzman said...

Why did I think yarrow flowers were yellow? What a nice little flowery head.

nina at Nature Remains. said...

Yes, there's a lot to this little plant, from herbal remedies to Greek mythology!
Delia--I think you thought yarrow were yellow because some are! Other colors, too. I'm not sure exactly which variety these are, maybe Achillea millefolium var. millefolium? (common yarrow)

imac said...

Great Y and great colour.

pop and see my Y.

esnorway said...

nice y

Tom said...

ah! a plant we have in commen...and I so agree with you about it's looks... those leaves are just as beautiful if not moreso than the flowerhead.