Artwork for podcast The Frontline Herbalism Podcast
7 - Yarrow: Bad Man’s Plaything
Episode 722nd November 2022 • The Frontline Herbalism Podcast • Solidarity Apothecary
00:00:00 00:18:25

Share Episode

Shownotes

All about Yarrow’s incredibly medicinal qualities.

Links & resources from this episode

Find them all at solidarityapothecary.org/podcast/

Support the show

Music from Sole & DJ Pain – Battle of Humans | Plant illustrations by @amani_writes | In solidarity, please subscribe, rate & review this podcast wherever you listen.

Transcripts

Nicole Rose:

Welcome to the Frontline Herbalism podcast with your host Nicole

Nicole Rose:

Rose from the Solidarity Apothecary.

Nicole Rose:

This is your place for all things plants and liberation.

Nicole Rose:

Let's get started.

Nicole Rose:

Hi everyone.

Nicole Rose:

How are you doing?

Nicole Rose:

So this episode today is all about Yarrow and I know I say this every week and maybe

Nicole Rose:

several times an episode, but Yarrow is definitely one of my favorite plants.

Nicole Rose:

Just so many amazing medicinal qualities and so much kind of like

Nicole Rose:

rich history of traditional use.

Nicole Rose:

So I really hope you learn something and that you enjoy it.

Nicole Rose:

In terms of some little kind of solidarity updates, a few more people

Nicole Rose:

have been sent to prison from Bristol.

Nicole Rose:

These are people that were on the Kill the Bill demonstration last March, 2021

Nicole Rose:

that I've, that I've mentioned before, who were, yeah, out on the streets, protesting

Nicole Rose:

the new legislation and also the murder of Sarah Everard by a police officer.

Nicole Rose:

And yeah, two people got sentenced to prison for violent disorder,

Nicole Rose:

Toph and Tyler . As new prisoners like it's just, it makes a world

Nicole Rose:

a difference to receive post.

Nicole Rose:

Like I cannot describe that feeling of just like that first little bundle of

Nicole Rose:

posts coming to you and knowing that people have your back and that they care

Nicole Rose:

about you and that you're not alone.

Nicole Rose:

I think the first days in prison are some of the hardest, like the biggest

Nicole Rose:

kind of culture shock and you know, also like some of the most traumatic, like

Nicole Rose:

being in induction, you're not unlocked very often, so you're really doing

Nicole Rose:

like 23 hours a day most of the time.

Nicole Rose:

And yeah.

Nicole Rose:

Pretty intense, like change of reality.

Nicole Rose:

So I'm gonna put a link in the show notes to their names and addresses

Nicole Rose:

and their prisoner numbers and things.

Nicole Rose:

You can just write them a normal card.

Nicole Rose:

You can write them a letter.

Nicole Rose:

You can also use this amazing tool called Email a prisoner, or things like

Nicole Rose:

moon pig.com or Funky Pigeon, like they generally get in quite easily as well.

Nicole Rose:

Those kind of like corporate printed cards.

Nicole Rose:

Yeah, if you can take a moment to do that, that would be amazing.

Nicole Rose:

I'm also gonna be releasing a second episode this week reading an article

Nicole Rose:

about like the revolutionary potential of the prisoner class that's just come

Nicole Rose:

out in, uh, uh, magazine I contributed to called Bulldozer, which is all

Nicole Rose:

about prison abolition produced by friends in the Incarcerated Workers

Nicole Rose:

Organizing Committee in Ireland.

Nicole Rose:

So, yeah, so look out for that.

Nicole Rose:

But in the meantime, enjoy this, this piece about Yarrow and,

Nicole Rose:

yeah, once again like plug again for Ukraine herbal solidarity.

Nicole Rose:

You know, like the winter is coming in Ukraine and russia are

Nicole Rose:

targeting the energy infrastructure.

Nicole Rose:

So huge amounts of people are without heating.

Nicole Rose:

It's really fucking dire the situation.

Nicole Rose:

And yeah.

Nicole Rose:

We're gonna be launching an Instagram account really soon and we're gonna

Nicole Rose:

be able to share like, more photos of our medicines being received in

Nicole Rose:

Ukraine and testimonials and like yeah.

Nicole Rose:

Different things to kind of like document, like the impact of the project.

Nicole Rose:

So look out for that.

Nicole Rose:

I will definitely share it on my Instagram.

Nicole Rose:

Yeah.

Nicole Rose:

Again, a little please for reviews.

Nicole Rose:

Uh, please don't be shy.

Nicole Rose:

Yeah.

Nicole Rose:

Yeah.

Nicole Rose:

See you next week.

Nicole Rose:

Okay.

Nicole Rose:

Yarrow.

Nicole Rose:

I can't believe I'm doing this for a third time when I'd said that every plant

Nicole Rose:

will be my favorite, but honestly Yarrow is like, yeah, definitely top three.

Nicole Rose:

But yeah, I'm just thinking now there's also Rose, so yeah, maybe

Nicole Rose:

it's gonna have to be top five.

Nicole Rose:

Okay, Yarrow Latin name - Achillea millefolium.

Nicole Rose:

Plant family is the Daisy family.

Nicole Rose:

The Asteraceae family Identification, Yarrow has Yarrow darkish green

Nicole Rose:

leaves deeply, and intricately cut into short, very thin lobes.

Nicole Rose:

The main lobes divided further into smaller ones, two, pinnate,

Nicole Rose:

which the cells can be divided three, pinnate, or toothed.

Nicole Rose:

The leaves look like feathers.

Nicole Rose:

The short, close, closely space lobes means that the leaf as a whole is

Nicole Rose:

Yarrower and with a clearer outline.

Nicole Rose:

Stems are quite stiff with dense branched heads of white or small,

Nicole Rose:

white or pale pink flowers in summer or autumn, other species.

Nicole Rose:

There is a vague similarity with wild carrot Dorota Carta when foraging.

Nicole Rose:

However, Yarrow is very distinct.

Nicole Rose:

I know Wild Carrot has like a little dot in the middle.

Nicole Rose:

And yarrow doesn't.

Nicole Rose:

. You can like go.

Nicole Rose:

You know you can look the apple online like Google it very easily.

Nicole Rose:

Folk names in English, soldiers wound wort, Herbe militaris,

Nicole Rose:

Bloodwort, Sanguinary, Staunchweed.

Nicole Rose:

Devil’s nettle, Devil’s plaything, Old man’s pepper.

Nicole Rose:

Nosebleed, Carpenter’s weed, Life medicine . Milfoil, Allheal, Squirrel’s tail,.

Nicole Rose:

Nosebleed.

Nicole Rose:

My favorite bad man's plaything.

Nicole Rose:

Which felt appropriate for a prisoner's herbal book.

Nicole Rose:

Knights Milfoil, Seven-year’s love, Yarroway.

Nicole Rose:

Englishman’s quinine, Carpenter’s g rass.

Nicole Rose:

Thousandleaf, Noble yarrow, Thousand seal, Dog daisy, Field

Nicole Rose:

Hop, Little feather, Warrior plant.

Nicole Rose:

Millefolium in Latin means a thousand leaves.

Nicole Rose:

Achillea comes from the story of Achilles, who used the herb to staunch

Nicole Rose:

the blood of soldiers wounded in battle.

Nicole Rose:

Chemical constituents.

Nicole Rose:

Okay, here we go.

Nicole Rose:

This section again, if you've listened to my other podcasts with these profiles,

Nicole Rose:

you'll, you'll know that this is like my most dreaded section where I can't

Nicole Rose:

pronounce everything cuz of my dyslexia and not being familiar with the words.

Nicole Rose:

So enjoy having a laugh.

Nicole Rose:

Okay.

Nicole Rose:

Chemical constituents.

Nicole Rose:

5% essential oil including alpha and beta pinenes, borneol, bornyl acetate

Nicole Rose:

borneone, caryophyllene, 1,8- cineole, eugenol, farnesene, linalool, myrcene,

Nicole Rose:

sabinene, salicylic acid, isovalerianic acid, terpineol, sesquiterpene

Nicole Rose:

lactones, chamazulene, thujone.

Nicole Rose:

Flavonoids apigenin, luteolin, quercetin, and their glycosides, artemetin,

Nicole Rose:

casticin, rutin and others).Miscellaneous acetylenes, aldehydes, cycitols, plant

Nicole Rose:

acids, resins, achillic acid, asparagines, choline, polyacetylenes; coumarins,

Nicole Rose:

triterpenes, cyanogenic glycosides.

Nicole Rose:

Woo.

Nicole Rose:

I am not becoming a plant chemistry teacher anytime soon.

Nicole Rose:

Okay, food and nutrition.

Nicole Rose:

Yarrow has been used to brew beer as tobacco, and in salads and soups.

Nicole Rose:

Herbalist Mark Paterson's nutritional profile of Yarrow shows it's very high

Nicole Rose:

chromium and tin, high in ash, fat, riboflavin, thymine, and vitamin C.

Nicole Rose:

Ecological role.

Nicole Rose:

Yarrow can be found on dry to moist, neutral, basic, or mildly acidic

Nicole Rose:

soils in un improved or semi improved grasslands in lowlands and uplands,

Nicole Rose:

also in sand dunes and disturbed ground.

Nicole Rose:

It's fantastic for insects, attracting bees, wasps, moths,

Nicole Rose:

butterflies, flies, and beetles.

Nicole Rose:

Medicinal herb farmers.

Nicole Rose:

Jeff and Melanie Carpenter, write that growers can take advantage of

Nicole Rose:

yarrow’s incredible insectary power.

Nicole Rose:

By planting it in proximity to other plants that are prone to damage

Nicole Rose:

from herbi, herbivorous insects or diseases that they carry with them.

Nicole Rose:

Cultivation.

Nicole Rose:

The carpenters plant yarrow at 12 inch spaces in rows, 14 inches

Nicole Rose:

apart with three rows in a bed.

Nicole Rose:

Yarrow will soon create a dense carpet over the soil.

Nicole Rose:

They are generally harvested in the early stages of flowering

Nicole Rose:

energetics, temperature, cooling, moisture, dry tissue states.

Nicole Rose:

Heat excitation, Damp/Stagnation, Damp/Relaxation.

Relaxation and taste:

bitter, pungent, astringent, herbal

Relaxation and taste:

actions, anti-inflammatory, anti hemorrhagic, antipyretic, antiseptic,

Relaxation and taste:

especially for the urinary system.

Relaxation and taste:

Antispasmodic astringent, emmenagogue, diaphoretic, diuretic, diuretic,

Relaxation and taste:

haemostatic, hypotensive/amphoteric forblood pressure, spasmolytic,

Relaxation and taste:

styptic, vasolidator.

Relaxation and taste:

Health Challenges supported by Yarrow.

Relaxation and taste:

Bleeding wound care and first aid.

Relaxation and taste:

Is potentially the most famous wound herb due to its septic action

Relaxation and taste:

of stopping bleeding internally and externally from small cuts to

Relaxation and taste:

internal bleeding and hemorrhage.

Relaxation and taste:

One of Yarrow's folk names is nosebleed because it's traditionally been used

Relaxation and taste:

during nose bleeds, where, where people simply roll up some fresh

Relaxation and taste:

leaves and stuff it up their noses.

Relaxation and taste:

This is a real crowd please if you're ever doing a herbal workshop, it's pretty

Relaxation and taste:

funny seeing someone put it up their nose.

Relaxation and taste:

It actually does hurt a little bit anyway.

Relaxation and taste:

You can also simply chew fresh leaves and apply to a wound.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow is powerful for all stages of the wound healing process from

Relaxation and taste:

being a styptic, stopping bleeding to increasing circulation, whereby

Relaxation and taste:

blood and necessary immunity, actors are moved to a wounded area.

Relaxation and taste:

To proliferation and granulation when new tissue starts to form.

Relaxation and taste:

If you don't have any fresh arrow, you can use dry arrow

Relaxation and taste:

that is rehydrated with water.

Relaxation and taste:

Don't use powders directly on a wound.

Relaxation and taste:

And, and I think like, sorry, there's I'm gonna do a podcast about wound care, but

Relaxation and taste:

there is like some exceptions to that.

Relaxation and taste:

Like if a wound.

Relaxation and taste:

Is like incredibly, damp.

Relaxation and taste:

You might use like Scutellaria baicalensis, to help kind

Relaxation and taste:

of dry that out, for example.

Relaxation and taste:

But it'll be like a very refined powder, and not kind of like

Relaxation and taste:

directly a Yarrow powder.

Relaxation and taste:

Anyway, I'll do another detail thing all about this, but this is just, you

Relaxation and taste:

know, it's just for people in prison.

Relaxation and taste:

It's meant to be like a very basic introduction.

Relaxation and taste:

Okay.

Relaxation and taste:

For example, you can make it into poultice or soak a cloth in a tea.

Relaxation and taste:

It is also great to wash a wound with Yarrow herbalist Sajah Popham describes,

Relaxation and taste:

so making a tea of Yarrow leaf and or flower strained can be great to soak and

Relaxation and taste:

soften a wound, aiding and clearing out debris, disinfecting it, reducing excess

Relaxation and taste:

inflammation and pain, and help with the regeneration of new cellular growth.

Relaxation and taste:

Bleeding gums, yarrow swished around in your mouth will

Relaxation and taste:

have an antimicrobial action.

Relaxation and taste:

We'll stop the bleeding right away and prevent infection.

Relaxation and taste:

Herbalist michael Moore also says that fringing chewing the fresh root

Relaxation and taste:

or applying the tinture topically after a tooth extraction really

Relaxation and taste:

helps colds, flute, and fevers.

Relaxation and taste:

For years, I would intuitively combine yarrow outflow and mint

Relaxation and taste:

every time I was developing a cold.

Relaxation and taste:

I was then nicely surprised as I found it, referenced as a combination

Relaxation and taste:

with a long, traditional use.

Relaxation and taste:

I usually just add the dried herbs together with hot water to steep and then.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow is a diuretic and helps the body to sweat and do what it needs to do to fight

Relaxation and taste:

an infection rather than suppressing it.

Relaxation and taste:

Sage says Yarrow is a critical remedy for colds and fevers, especially

Relaxation and taste:

when someone feels nauseous and experiences periodic fever.

Relaxation and taste:

Further adding, I think Yarrow is one of the di, the most dynamic remedies

Relaxation and taste:

for treatment of acute infection with a broad range of application,

Relaxation and taste:

respiratory, urinary, digestive, blood, circulatory, fever, topical, et cetera.

Relaxation and taste:

Fungal and microbial infections.

Relaxation and taste:

Sajah writes that Yarrow is full of aromatic volatile oils that display

Relaxation and taste:

antimicrobial and antifungal actions both topically and internally.

Relaxation and taste:

This is in combination with its diuretic property.

Relaxation and taste:

This in combination with its diuretic property makes it useful in a wide

Relaxation and taste:

variety of pathogenic infections, both systemically and locally,

Relaxation and taste:

especially for infected wounds in combination with its vulnerary.

Relaxation and taste:

Menstruation.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow is an emmenagogue, which means it promotes menstrual flow.

Relaxation and taste:

It does this in part by stimulating circulation of the blood in the pelvis.

Relaxation and taste:

It is also a menstrual regulator through this action, and by clearing

Relaxation and taste:

the liver with its bitter taste, so supporting hormonal balance in the body.

Relaxation and taste:

Amazingly Yarrow can also be used not just to promote menstruation, but to reduce it

Relaxation and taste:

acting intelligently to support the body.

Relaxation and taste:

Julie and Matthew Seal write the special ability to both stop

Relaxation and taste:

bleeding and break up stagnant blood.

Relaxation and taste:

Makes the yarrow a valuable menstrual remedy.

Relaxation and taste:

It will correct both heavy and suppressed periods and will normalize

Relaxation and taste:

blood flow if there is clotting.

Relaxation and taste:

It is used to treat abnormally heavy bleeding as well as vaginal leucorrhea,

Relaxation and taste:

whiteish, or yellowish discharge.

Relaxation and taste:

Digestive system.

Relaxation and taste:

Sajah states how Yarrow has an affinity for the liver, spleen, stomach,

Relaxation and taste:

and works specifically for hepatic portal vein congestion of the body.

Relaxation and taste:

This is predominantly through both its bitter and sedative properties.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow promotes secretions, alleviating and dispersing tension held in the

Relaxation and taste:

gut, moving out, stagnation, cooling, heat, and stimulating digestion.

Relaxation and taste:

He also adds, Yarrow will be helpful when someone has had chronic

Relaxation and taste:

relaxation of the bowels like diarrhea.

Relaxation and taste:

As the tissues don't have enough tonal quality to hold fluids in the stool,

Relaxation and taste:

drinking garity can be useful for cooling conditions such as leaky gut

Relaxation and taste:

syndrome, symbiosis, irritation of the intestines and bacterial infections

Relaxation and taste:

as the Yarrows virtues all work to improve the integrity of the tissues.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrows also antimicrobial against Shigella bacteria.

Relaxation and taste:

Joint inflammation.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow is not only powerful for inflammation and wounds, but

Relaxation and taste:

also longer term conditions.

Relaxation and taste:

Michael Moore describes how Yarrow can be used for joint inflammations

Relaxation and taste:

caused by rheumatoid arthritis and other low level autoimmune or allergic

Relaxation and taste:

conditions that settle in the joints.

Relaxation and taste:

Urinary infections.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow is useful for urinary infections, UTIs that cause painful burning urination.

Relaxation and taste:

It can kill bacteria while simultaneously toning tissue.

Relaxation and taste:

It also has the diuretic properties that help the body respond

Relaxation and taste:

to all manner of infections.

Relaxation and taste:

Herbalist Stephen Harrod Buhner's book includes research that shows

Relaxation and taste:

how the compounds in Yarrow have proven effective against a number of

Relaxation and taste:

organisms that are associated with UTIs, including Candida albicans, Escherichia

Relaxation and taste:

Coli and Streptococcus faecalis.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow is also useful for people experiencing urinary difficulties

Relaxation and taste:

from a swollen prostate for circulatory conditions.

Relaxation and taste:

Has an incredible affinity for the blood and can be used to treat

Relaxation and taste:

conditions such as varicose veins, hypertension, hypotension, and thrombosis.

Relaxation and taste:

S Sadia describes yarrow's, actions on the blood.

Relaxation and taste:

Is used effectively to tone the blood vessels in the

Relaxation and taste:

peripheral capillaries and veins.

Relaxation and taste:

Paradoxically it not only tones and astringents, but also acts as a

Relaxation and taste:

vasodilator opening up the vessels and allows for more blood to move

Relaxation and taste:

through this system, thus bringing more nutrients and oxygen to areas

Relaxation and taste:

that may be lacking hemorrhoids.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow has a traditional use for hemorrhoids due to its astringency.

Relaxation and taste:

Sajah says astringency from the tannins make it excellent, both internally

Relaxation and taste:

and externally as it will tighten up the tissue, stop the bleeding,

Relaxation and taste:

reduce inflammation and pain, and shrink the hemorrhoid itself.

Relaxation and taste:

It can be added to a sits bath and also be used internally.

Relaxation and taste:

If all these incredible medicinal uses aren't enough, Yarrow is

Relaxation and taste:

also known in folk medicine as a tool for love divination.

Relaxation and taste:

Nigel g Pearson writes how if Yarrow would be wrapped in a flannel sache and

Relaxation and taste:

placed under a pillow at night, then that person will dream of their future lover.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow was also hung over newborn babies as a form of protection.

Relaxation and taste:

Magic.

Relaxation and taste:

Elizabeth Brook describes it as a herb for those fighting injustice with

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow as protective battle armour..

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow stalks are also used in the Chinese I Ching divination.

Relaxation and taste:

Cautions.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow is not recommended for people who are pregnant because

Relaxation and taste:

of it's emmenagogue action.

Relaxation and taste:

Yarrow can cause skin reactions in some people and in large

Relaxation and taste:

doses can cause headaches.

Relaxation and taste:

It also decreases drug absorption because of its ability to increase gut motility.

Relaxation and taste:

How to practically use Yarrow in prison where you might find yarrow?

Relaxation and taste:

I found yarrow in the graveled areas of prison paths, especially in the

Relaxation and taste:

areas further out between fences.

Relaxation and taste:

It was also up against the curbs in any cracks it could find fresh

Relaxation and taste:

leaf cuts and chew upper leaf and then place directly on the cut.

Relaxation and taste:

See also the dedicated wound section.

Relaxation and taste:

That's like a later part of the book.

Relaxation and taste:

Nose bleeds.

Relaxation and taste:

Roll up fresh leaves and put up the nose until the bleeding stops.

Relaxation and taste:

Bleeding gums make a tea with the fresh leaf and or flowers and

Relaxation and taste:

then swish it around your mouth.

Relaxation and taste:

Cold flus, fevers.

Relaxation and taste:

Add yellow leaves and or flowers to hot water and leave to infuse and strain it.

Relaxation and taste:

But make sure you drink it while it is still.

Relaxation and taste:

It'll help you sweat out a fever, so don't be alarmed if

Relaxation and taste:

you sweat more or feel hotter.

Relaxation and taste:

Keep making and drinking the tea every few hours until you feel better.

Relaxation and taste:

Periods.

Relaxation and taste:

You can drink guarantee to help bring on your period.

Relaxation and taste:

If your period's very heavy, you can drink garity to help normalize the flow.

Relaxation and taste:

If you have vaginal discharge, you can also drink garity regularly

Relaxation and taste:

to help clear up any infection and tone yourself down below.

Relaxation and taste:

Gut issues such as leaky, irritable bowel and so forth.

Relaxation and taste:

Drink yarrow regularly for diarrhea.

Relaxation and taste:

Drink it for, painful burning urination and urinary tract infections.

Relaxation and taste:

Drink strong ity, swollen prostate, drink yarrow tea.

Relaxation and taste:

Hemorrhoids, you can make a sitz bath.

Relaxation and taste:

This is where you fill a container with water large enough to place your button.

Relaxation and taste:

If you can get hold of one of those, so like the same size as a washing

Relaxation and taste:

up bowl, ideally, but obviously in prison, you'll have to improvise.

Relaxation and taste:

make a strong arrow infusion slash tea and add to the warm water and

Relaxation and taste:

then sit in it for 20 minutes.

Relaxation and taste:

If you can't make a sitz bath, you could also just add fresh or

Relaxation and taste:

dried yellow to a normal bath.

Relaxation and taste:

Or don't fill the bath completely full, but enough to cover your backside.

Relaxation and taste:

You can also help recover from hemorrhoids by drinking zero tea

Relaxation and taste:

internally for a number of weeks.

Relaxation and taste:

Joint pain.

Relaxation and taste:

Drink yarrow.

Relaxation and taste:

Varicose veins, hypertension.

Relaxation and taste:

Hypertension and thrombosis.

Relaxation and taste:

Strength.

Relaxation and taste:

Severity, toothache.

Relaxation and taste:

While I don't suggest digging up the roots, if there are limited plants

Relaxation and taste:

available, if there is an abundance, if there is an abundance, hopefully not an

Relaxation and taste:

ambulance, you can use the fresh root for toothache by directly chewing it.

Relaxation and taste:

And I know I'm like reading these chapters like individually, but there's,

Relaxation and taste:

there's kind of more content in the book explaining why you should always

Relaxation and taste:

seek kind of appropriate medical care.

Relaxation and taste:

And these are just kind of like useful tools and tricks while you're in

Relaxation and taste:

prison, but obviously in prison you should still try and seek healthcare,

Relaxation and taste:

you know, especially if you're, for example, bleeding from down below.

Relaxation and taste:

Thanks so much for listening to the Frontline Herbalism podcast.

Relaxation and taste:

You can find the transcript, the links, all the resources from the show

Links

Chapters

Video

More from YouTube