Yarrow species: Discover the diversity of the medicinal plant

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Yarrow species: Discover the diversity of the medicinal plant
Yarrow species: Discover the diversity of the medicinal plant
Anonim

Yarrow is found in many regions of Europe as a wild plant along roadsides and in fodder meadows. The plant genus Yarrow (Achillea) belongs to the daisy family (Asteraceae) and is attractive for cultivation in the garden not only because of its use as a medicinal plant.

Red yarrow
Red yarrow

What types of yarrow are there?

Yarrow includes various species such as the common yarrow (Achillea millefolium) with white flowers, the Hungarian meadow yarrow and cultivated varieties such as “Heinrich Vogeler”. Colorful alternatives are the yellow yarrow and the red-colored pepper yarrow.

The white types of yarrow

Yarrow species with a characteristic white flower color include common yarrow or common yarrow (Achillea millefolium). This can be found in natural landscapes in many different countries around the world; it is only less common in the Mediterranean region. Sometimes the color of the white yarrow turns slightly pink. There are also white yarrow species such as the Hungarian meadow yarrow or cultivated varieties such as the Achillea Filipendulina hybrid “Heinrich Vogeler”.

Colorful alternatives for the garden bed

While the cultivation of white yarrow is also very popular in natural gardens, many hobby gardeners rely on colorful species with particularly large flower plates to create color contrasts. This includes, for example, the yellow yarrow, whose natural distribution area extends over the following countries:

  • Italy
  • Croatia
  • Switzerland
  • France
  • Spain

The intensely red colored pepper yarrow, on the other hand, is primarily widespread in Central Europe. Nowadays, you can mainly find natural and cultivated varieties in white, yellow and red or various color gradations in garden shops. Since the location and care needs of the subspecies can differ somewhat, the information in the respective plant profile should be followed.

Combine different colors to create attractive dry bouquets

A special feature of yarrow, in addition to its possible uses in cooking, is the fact that the flowers retain a large part of their magnificent flower color when dried. Colorful yarrow can be combined not only fresh, but also in the form of dried bouquets to create attractive bouquets. To do this, the flowering inflorescences must be cut in good time and dried upside down as quickly as possible so that no mold or rotting processes can set in.

Tip

Yarrows tend to senesce after about three to four years in the same location. You should therefore carefully remove older specimens in the garden regularly and propagate them by division. This is how you keep the stocks “young” and blooming.

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