Yarrow

About

Yarrow is one of the most common plants in the Carpathians. It grows in meadows, pastures, along roadsides, near villages and Kolibas, in clearings and polonynas, rising from the foothills to the subalpine zone. At altitude, its inflorescences often have a pinkish tint.

The plant is 20–80 cm tall with a straight, hairy stem. The leaves are very finely dissected, delicate, feathery, as if made of thousands of small segments, hence the Latin name millefolium — "thousand-leaved." The inflorescence is a flat cluster at the top, composed of numerous small flower heads with five white or pink ray flowers. The plant has a bitter spicy smell.

Yarrow blooms from June to September. For tea, the flowering tops are traditionally cut and dried in the shade.

The most important thing is not to confuse yarrow with poisonous umbrella plants, which also have white inflorescences, such as poison hemlock. They can be easily distinguished upon closer inspection. In yarrow, the inflorescence is a cluster of small "daisy-like" flower heads, and the leaves are delicate and feathery. In umbrella plants, the inflorescence is an umbrella of small five-petaled flowers on "spokes," and poison hemlock also has a hollow stem with red-brown spots and an unpleasant smell. If in doubt — do not collect.

Yarrow can cause allergies in people sensitive to plants of the Asteraceae family, such as chamomile or ragweed.

Where in the Carpathians

The map shows where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records), not every place it lives. The Ukrainian Carpathians are less studied, so a blank area does not mean the species is absent.

Countries

Slovakia · Czechia · Ukraine · Poland · Romania · Hungary · Austria

Mountain ranges

Slovak Ore Mountains, Low Tatras, Greater Fatra, Strážov Mountains, Slovak Central Mountains, Lesser Fatra, White Carpathians, Kysuce Beskids, Štiavnica Mountains, Volovec Mountains

Altitude belts

Foothills (below 600 m) · Beech forests (600–1200 m)

When to see it

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Safety

Do not confuse with poisonous umbrella plants (poison hemlock, water hemlock), which have a white umbrella-like inflorescence. Possible allergy in people sensitive to Asteraceae.

Look-alikes — how to tell them apart

In folk tradition

The flowering tops are traditionally dried and brewed as tea.

Protection and rules

Not protected. For personal use, collection is allowed outside of reserves and protected areas of national parks; cut the tops, do not uproot the plant.

FAQ