Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) was valued as a wound healing herb in ancient Greece and was consciously cultivated as a medicinal plant in monastery gardens for many centuries. Even today, this plant can serve as a gentle remedy and a he althy dietary supplement.
When and how should I harvest yarrow?
Yarrow is best harvested in mid-summer during the midday heat by cutting the plant about a hand's width above the ground. Choose a sunny location in your own garden to avoid contamination.
Choose the right location for the harvest
In nature, yarrow often occurs along roadsides, where it catches the eye. However, the danger here is not only that plants on the edge of forage meadows are contaminated with fertilizers and pesticides. It can often be the case that the plants are contaminated by the droppings of dogs running loose or being walked. 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 its counterparts, which are sometimes poisonous.
The best time for harvesting
The essential oils in the flowers and leaves of yarrow are most concentrated in mid-summer. 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 width above the ground so that the plants can recover from the cut and grow back. During the year you can also pluck individual leaves from strong plants in order to cleverly refine the aroma of soups and other dishes.
Drying yarrow properly
The flowers and leaves of yarrow can also be used fresh to prepare teas and sitz baths. To create a supply, tinctures can be prepared or certain quantities can be dried for storage. The easiest way to do this is to make small bunches 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 parts of the plants from the inside of the bouquets outwards during the drying time in order to achieve even drying without mold or rot.
Tip
You can brew a refreshing herbal lemonade from fresh yarrow flowers in midsummer if you let the flowers steep in a jug of water overnight with a little sugar and lemon juice.
