Plant · GBIF taxon 3120060
common yarrow
Achillea millefoliumAlso known as Milfoil, Soldier's Woundwort, Thousand-Leaf, Nosebleed Plant
Common yarrow carpets meadows and roadsides with feathery, aromatic foliage and flat-topped clusters of tiny, cream-white flowers. These hardy perennial plants support a vast array of native pollinators while stabilizing soils with their spreading rhizomes. Historically valued in folklore for staunching wounds, they release a sharp, medicinal scent when crushed.
PerennialAromaticPollinator-Friendly
- diet
- Photosynthetic (sunlight, water, and soil nutrients)
- family
- Asteraceae
- threats
- Habitat loss from intensive agriculture and over-mowing
- life Span
- Perennial (individual plants live 3 to 5 years, spreading indefinitely via rhizomes)
LC
Toxic to pets and has deadly look-alikes; never ingest wild plants based on app identification alone.
Contains achilleine and other alkaloids that are toxic to dogs, cats, and horses, and closely resembles deadly hemlock species.
Keep pets away from the foliage and never harvest or consume any part of the plant.- Observe the leaves: Look closely at the highly dissected, fernlike foliage that gives the plant its species name, meaning thousand-leaf.
- Check for pollinators: Watch the flat flower heads on sunny days to spot native bees, hoverflies, and butterflies drinking nectar.
- Scent identification: Gently brush the foliage to release the characteristic sharp, herbal aroma that helps distinguish it from toxic look-alikes.