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Achillea millefolium

Achillea millefolium

Meadow plant with flat-topped flower clusters.

Common narrow-leaved form.

Family
Asteraceae
Plant type
Perennial herb
Safety level (indicative)
Generally recognised as safe
What the safety levels mean (expand legend)
  • Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
  • Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
  • Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
  • Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
  • Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
  • High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
  • Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.
Achillea millefolium — plant habitus (Wikimedia Commons).

Photograph on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Plant habit

Quick overview

A practical summary; details are in the sections below.

Safety grade
Generally recognised as safe·details
Scientific sources on the card
Yes — sources are listed with claims·Science section
When and what to harvest
  • Flower — June–September
Full harvest section
Processing methods

Herbal infusion (tea), Bath additive, Honey macerate

All methods and recipes on the card
Topics and symptoms

Bruises & scars (topical care), Digestion, Head tension & headaches…

Topics section · Symptoms overview

Identification and mix-ups

Perennial herb with basal and cauline 2–3-pinnate leaves with fine filiform segments (hence 'millefolium' — a thousand leaves) and a characteristic spicy scent when crushed. Stems erect, furrowed. Flowerheads small, with white (occasionally pink-tinged) ray florets, arranged in flat-topped corymb-like compound inflorescences at the stem apex.

Possible mix-ups and risks

Most likely confused with sneezewort (Achillea ptarmica), which has simply serrate (not pinnate) leaves and larger flowerheads with more prominent white rays; it grows in wetter habitats. Confusion is also possible with Apiaceae (umbellifer family) species whose flat-topped compound umbels can superficially resemble yarrow's corymb, but Apiaceae lack composite flowerheads (Asteraceae) and have a very different leaf structure.

Similar herbs

  • Matricaria chamomilla

    Flower heads used in teas from both garden and meadow traditions; identify by the leaves and the receptacle.

Topics and symptoms

More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.

Sources

Geographic occurrence

  • Czechia

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Widespread occurrence in the Czech Republic in suitable habitats.

  • Austria

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.

  • Germany

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.

  • Hungary

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.

  • Poland

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.

  • Slovakia

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Wave 1 (seed): broad range in Central Europe — verify with floras and national checklists.

  • Japan

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Japan top 20: temperate and East Asian context — verify Japanese flora and cultivation.

  • Canada

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Canada / North America top 20 — verify with floras, naturalised populations, and cultivated spread.

  • Australia

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Australia top 20: archaeophytes and endemics — verify with national floras and introduced-species references.

Harvest

  • FlowerJune–September

    léto

    Region: Czechia

    Notes: Flowering aerial parts with flower heads.

Storage

  • Drying(Leaf)

    Keep dried plant material in a sealed container.

    Light:
    Out of direct UV.
    Moisture:
    Low relative humidity.

Processing methods on this herb card

  • Herbal infusion (tea)(Flower)Suitability: High suitability

    Infusion or brief extraction in hot water; usually without long boiling.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    In the narrow sense, “tea” often means an infusion: you pour water just off the boil over the dried plant matter and let it steep for a few minutes. Temperature, steep time, and the herb-to-water ratio change both flavour and what dissolves into the liquid.

    Compared with a decoction, heat exposure is shorter and gentler; tender leaves and flowers are often better as an infusion than with prolonged simmering. For each herb, always follow the plant card for suitable plant part, preparation, and safety notes — general rules never replace species-level judgement.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Achillea millefolium — Herbal infusion (tea) (Flower)

    About 12 minBeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

  • Bath additive(Flower)Suitability: High suitability

    Addition to bath water or a bath decoction; topical use.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Bath preparations transfer soluble compounds into water for short-term skin contact. Concentration and water temperature change sensation and possible irritation.

    Rinse the tub afterwards so residues from strongly coloured plants do not linger.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Bath with yarrow infusion

    About 25 minBeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

  • Honey macerate(Flower)Suitability: High suitability

    Macerating plant material in honey (a honey conserve).

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Honey as a maceration medium creates a viscous mixture with its own biochemistry: water activity, acidity, and enzymes influence shelf life and flavour. Traditionally it is used with delicate flowers or herbs when you want aroma bound into honey.

    Infant botulism guidance for honey and honey safety in general sit outside a single herb page; maceration time, ratios, and storage must follow a vetted recipe and source, not this general overview alone.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Yarrow flower honey

    About 30 minBeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

Traditional / spiritual use

Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.

Related guides in the library

  • Meadow yarrow and small white umbels in the grass

    General

    Traditional useFolk useHerbal lore

    Common yarrow belongs to hay meadows and tiny white umbels in the turf. Old tales sometimes link it with paths and light dreams — metaphorically, not as a committed therapeutic picture.

    Form:
    čaj z květů
    Claim strength:
    Tradition
    Source note:
    European meadow symbolism — not treatment advice.

Scientific notes

Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.

How to read evidence strength and study type labels

Labels summarise how the catalogue entry is tagged — they are not a medical verdict on efficacy. For every row, read the summary, limitations and source link.

Evidence strength

Evidence level not specified
The author did not grade the record; judge from the summary, limitations and source link.
Narrative / orientational literature
Descriptive or expert literature without controlled group comparison — context rather than proof of effect.
Weak evidence
Study or conclusion with major methodological limits; treat only as a pointer for further reading.
Preliminary findings
First or smaller studies — interesting direction, not the final word on efficacy or safety.
Moderate strength of evidence
Moderate strength by study design; sample and context limits still apply.
Stronger evidence
Stronger design or consistency of results within the study's stated limits.
Review article
A review summarises multiple sources; quality depends on review method and field.

Study type

Narrative / expert text
Expert text or overview without a classical study design.
In vitro study
Cell culture or test-tube experiment — does not show an effect in the body.
Animal study
Animal model — transfer to humans is not automatic.
Observational study
Observing groups without random treatment assignment; confounding is possible.
Clinical trial
Human clinical trial; sample size and control group matter.
Randomised controlled trial
Randomised controlled trials are among the stronger designs when well conducted.
Review study
A review aggregates multiple papers — quality depends on selection rules.
Systematic review
Systematic review with explicit search and selection methodology.
Meta-analysis
Statistical pooling of studies; outcome depends on input data and heterogeneity.
Regulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)
Regulatory body summary for a herbal product — different context from a single RCT; often about products, not home tea.
Expert monograph (herbal preparations)
Structured literature summary for a plant or drug — quality depends on author and edition year.

  • Yarrow extracts show anti-inflammatory laboratory activity; human wound-healing trials are limited and often topical or proprietary blends.

    Evidence level not specifiedNarrative / expert text

    Limitations: Asteraceae allergy; bleeding risk with anticoagulants theoretically discussed; alcohol tinctures differ from aqueous tea.

    Reference into the scientific literature (orientation)

  • The EMA HMPC monograph for yarrow aerial parts (herba); a flower tea is a traditionally related form — the document is the closest public regulatory parallel.

    Review articleRegulatory assessment / monograph (EMA, WHO…)Year: 2020

    Preparation form in the study: infusion

    Active compound / focus: sesquiterpene lactones, flavonoids (per the document)

    Limitations: Skip with an Asteraceae allergy; the document refers to preparations.

    Dose note (from literature): See the PDF for preparations.

    EMA Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC) — European Medicines Agency

    EMA: Final assessment report on Achillea millefolium L., herba (revision 1)

Images

The main photo is in the card header. More images will appear here when available.

Safety

What the warning types mean

The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.

Internal use
Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
Interactions / medicines
Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
Raw plant parts
Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
Toxins and regulation
Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
Contact with the plant
Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
Allergy
Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
Harvesting and contamination
Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.

No structured safety records yet.