If you’ve ever brushed past a feathery-looking plant on a walk and caught a spicy, almost herbal scent, there’s a good chance you met yarrow—one of the oldest and most widespread healing plants in the world. Achillea millefolium may sound like a mouthful, but this hardy little plant has been hanging out with humans for tens of thousands of years. It grows all across Europe, Asia, and North America, popping up in meadows, along roadsides, and pretty much anywhere it pleases.
What I love about yarrow is how much history it carries. Legend says Achilles used it to treat his soldiers’ wounds, and later, people crushed its leaves to stop nosebleeds—hence charming nicknames like “nosebleed plant” and “soldier’s woundwort.” Indigenous communities in North America also turned to yarrow for everything from headaches to fevers to helping with sleep. Even the Neanderthals may have used it, which feels wild to think about.
Despite all that history, yarrow is surprisingly down-to-earth. The whole plant is technically edible (though it’s strong stuff!), and its young leaves can even be tossed into a salad or brewed into a grassy, anise-scented tea. And in Chinese tradition, yarrow is considered lucky—its stalks were once used for I Ching divination.
So next time you spot those tiny white or pink clusters of flowers, take a moment to appreciate this ancient, unassuming plant. It’s been part of the human story a lot longer than we have records to prove.
如果你曾在散步時拂過一種羽毛狀的植物，並聞到一股辛辣的、近乎草藥般的香氣，那麼你很可能遇到的是蓍草——世界上最古老、分佈最廣的藥用植物之一。歐蓍草這個名字聽起來可能有點拗口，但這種生命力頑強的小植物已經與人類相伴數萬年之久。它遍布歐洲、亞洲和北美洲，在草地、路邊，幾乎任何牠喜歡的地方都能找到它的身影。
我喜歡蓍草的原因在於它承載著豐富的歷史。傳說阿喀琉斯曾用它來治療士兵的傷口，後來人們又將蓍草的葉子搗碎來止鼻血——因此它有了「止鼻血草」和「士兵傷口草」這樣有趣的別名。北美原住民也曾用蓍草治療各種疾病，從頭痛、發燒到助眠。甚至連尼安德塔人可能也用過它，這真是令人難以置信。
儘管歷史悠久，蓍草卻出乎意料地平易近人。從技術上講，整株植物都可以食用（雖然味道很濃烈！），它的嫩葉甚至可以拌入沙拉，或者泡成帶有青草和茴香香氣的茶。在中國傳統中，蓍草被視為吉祥之物－它的莖稈曾被用於《易經》占卜。
所以，下次當你看到那些白色或粉紅色的小花簇時，不妨花點時間欣賞一下這種古老而樸素的植物。它與人類歷史的淵源遠比我們所能記載的要長得多。
Notes 筆記
- Achillea millefolium, commonly known as yarrow or common yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. Other common names for this species include nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, and thousand-seal.
- The genus name Achillea is derived from the mythical Greek hero Achilles, who, according to legend, carried the plant to treat the wounds of his soldiers. The specific epithet millefolium (“thousand-leaf”) refers to its finely divided, featherlike leaves.
- Yarrow is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, including Europe, Asia, and North America. It has also been introduced to New Zealand and Australia, partly for use as livestock forage.
- Achillea millefolium is an erect, herbaceous perennial. Its inflorescences have 4–9 phyllaries and contain both ray and disk flowers, usually white to pink, which may bloom from spring through autumn (often March to October, depending on climate). The small disk florets typically number 10–40. The plant has a distinctive spicy aroma that persists when dried.
- Yarrow has a long history in traditional medicine, attributed to its astringent properties and other reported effects. In antiquity it was used to help heal wounds and stop bleeding, and by the 16th century its crushed leaves were commonly applied to treat nosebleeds.
- In North America, various Indigenous nations traditionally used yarrow for ailments such as toothache, earache, headaches, cuts, abrasions, fevers, and for promoting sleep.
- The entire plant is considered edible, though consumption in large amounts is not advised. The foliage is pungent, and both leaves and flowers have a bitter, astringent taste. Young leaves may be eaten raw in salads, and both leaves and flowers can be brewed into a tea with an anise-like, grassy flavor.
- Yarrow has been found in association with Neanderthal burials, suggesting interaction with humans at least 60,000 years ago.
- In Chinese tradition, yarrow (tortoiseshell is a separate material) is considered auspicious, and yarrow stalks have been historically used in I Ching divination.
- 歐蓍草，俗稱蓍草或普通蓍草，是菊科的一種開花植物。該物種的其他常見名稱包括鼻血草、老人胡椒、魔鬼蕁麻、血根草、千葉蓍、士兵傷口草、羽衣草和千印草。
- 歐蓍草屬名 Achillea 源自希臘神話英雄阿基里斯，傳說他曾用這種植物為士兵療傷。種加詞 millefolium（意為「千葉」）指的是它細裂的羽狀葉片。
- 歐蓍草原產於北半球溫帶地區，包括歐洲、亞洲和北美洲。它也被引入紐西蘭和澳大利亞，部分原因是用作牲畜飼料。
- 歐蓍草是一種直立的多年生草本植物。其花序有 4-9 枚總苞片，包含舌狀花和管狀花，通常為白色至粉紅色，花期從春季持續到秋季（通常為 3 月至 10 月，具體時間取決於氣候）。管狀花通常有 10-40 朵。該植物具有獨特的辛辣香氣，乾燥後仍能保持。
- 歐蓍草在傳統醫學中有著悠久的歷史，這歸功於其止血特性和其他一些已知的功效。在古代，人們用它來幫助癒合傷口和止血；到了 16 世紀，人們普遍將蓍草的葉子搗碎後敷於患處，用於治療鼻出血。
- 在北美，各原住民部落傳統上都使用蓍草來治療牙痛、耳痛、頭痛、割傷、擦傷、發燒等疾病，並促進睡眠。
- 整株植物均可食用，但不建議大量食用。其葉片氣味辛辣，葉子和花朵都帶有苦澀的澀味。嫩葉可生食拌沙拉，葉子和花朵均可泡茶，茶湯帶有類似茴香的青草味。
- 在尼安德特人的墓葬中發現了蓍草，這表明至少在 6 萬年前，蓍草就與人類有過接觸。
- 在中國傳統中，蓍草（玳瑁是另一種材料）被認為是吉祥的象徵，蓍草莖在歷史上曾被用於《易經》占卜。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Achillea millefolium
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