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Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) was valued as a wound-healing herb as early as ancient Greece and was deliberately cultivated as a medicinal plant in monastery gardens for many centuries. Even today, this plant can serve as a gentle remedy and as a healthy dietary supplement.
Mid-summer is the best time to harvest yarrow
Choosing the right location for harvesting
In nature, yarrow is often found along the way, where it catches the eye. Here, however, there is not only the danger that plants on the edge of forage meadows are contaminated with fertilizers and pesticides. It can often also be the case that the plants are contaminated by the legacies of free-ranging or carried out dogs. If, on the other hand, the perennial yarrow is grown in a sunny location in your own garden, then it is less likely to be confused with the sometimes poisonous doubles.
The best time for harvest
The essential oils in the flowers and leaves of yarrow are most concentrated in midsummer. In contrast to some other herbs, yarrow can be cut to the required harvest quantity during the midday heat. This is especially true if you want to dry the plant parts for later use. When harvesting, always cut about a hand's breadth above the ground to allow the plants to recover from the cut and regrow. During the year you can also pluck individual leaves from strong plants to refine the aroma of soups and other dishes.
Properly drying yarrows
The blossoms and leaves of the yarrow can also be used fresh for the preparation of teas and sitz baths. Tinctures can be prepared for stockpiling, or specific amounts can be dried for storage. The easiest way to do this is to tie small bouquets of herbs from the yarrow cut on a dry day and hang them upside down in a well-ventilated but covered place. Sometimes you have to turn plant parts from the inside of the bouquets outwards during the drying time in order to achieve an even drying without mold or rot.
tips
You can brew a refreshing herbal lemonade from fresh yarrow flowers in midsummer if you leave the flowers overnight in a jug of water together with some sugar and lemon juice.