Yarrow is not only a medicinal plant that has been popular for centuries, but is also popular as an edible component of wild herb salads. Since it sometimes has dangerous "doubles" in nature, an exact identification of the plant is very important.

Yarrow can be recognized by its growth height and its smell, among other things

Recognize the yarrow by its flowers

The large family of yarrow subspecies is now distributed almost worldwide and, in addition to the well-known white form, also occurs in numerous color variants. During the flowering period, you can recognize the yarrow partly by the characteristic, sweet smell that the individual flowers, arranged in cymes, exude. However, the flowers of inexperienced herb collectors and children are sometimes confused with those of spotted hemlock and giant hogweed, which can lead to fatal consequences due to the poison content of these doubles. The flowers of the yarrow vary in appearance from subspecies to subspecies.

The leaves as a good identifier for the yarrow

While there is some similarity in the inflorescences of the yarrow doubles, the leaves are usually a fairly unique identifier of the yarrow. The leaves of the yarrow look very fine and dainty in their elongated shape. They are alternate, which means that they alternately branch off the side of the plant stem. The pinnate leaves grow in a round rosette shape from the yarrow's perennial outlasting organ. The aromatic leaves can be eaten fresh in small quantities or used as soup greens.

Basic identification features of yarrow

While the giant hogweed grows significantly larger than the yarrow as a fully grown plant, confusion does sometimes occur with children or during the spring growth phase. To be on the safe side when identifying plants, various characteristics should always be considered:

  • the plant height
  • the heyday
  • the hairiness of stems and leaves
  • the exact shape of the leaves
  • the smell
  • the site

Yarrows are often found along the way and exude a rather sweet and quite pleasant smell.

tips

Only collect yarrows for drying as tea if you can identify them with certainty. Otherwise simply ask people who know herbs for help or trust in yarrow tea from the pharmacy.

Category:

Herbs