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Yarrow

Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Identify the Yarrow from a photo and log your finds with Florapass.

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How common: Very common

Alien species

Yarrow is a perennial wildflower with flat-topped clusters of many tiny white, daisy-like heads and very finely cut, ferny leaves. It grows widely in open, rather dry places such as meadows, field edges and roadsides across Europe, Asia and North America. The plant gives off a spicy, herbal scent when touched.

Did you know?

  • Crushed leaves smell spicy.
  • Flowers are usually white but can be pale pink to purplish.

About the species

Identification

Perennial 20–70 cm tall. Sturdy upright stem, sometimes branching near the top, slightly hairy and spicy-scented; spreads with short ground runners. Leaves rise up the stem; they are very finely divided into many narrow segments, giving a feathery look (lower leaves with a short stalk, upper leaves sitting close to the stem). Flower heads form a tight, flat-topped cluster. Each tiny daisylike head is only a few millimetres wide and has 3–5 white outer 'petals' (sometimes pale pink to purplish). Seeds are small and hard, without any fluff. Differs from mayweeds and oxeye daisy by its feathery leaves and many tiny heads, not single big ones. Flowers in Finland from July to September.

Plant group

Herbaceous plants

Habitat

yards and roadsides

Flowering

Jul–Sep

About the habitat

Open, rather dry places influenced by people: meadows, pastures, fields, road verges, yards and waste ground; also along paths and in other dry, sunny to lightly shaded spots. Common throughout the country.

Sources

Photo: Dave Miller, CC0 1.0 https://www.gbif.org/occurrence/5938102797

Text: Pinkka: Verso- ja leviäintunnistus - Kaikki leviäimet, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39812

Text: Pinkka: BIO-503 Suomen kasvisto ja kasvillisuus - Kulttuuriympäristöt: niityt, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39812

Text: Pinkka: A Pohjolan kasveja - Abies-Allium, CC BY 4.0 https://laji.fi/taxon/MX.39812

Text: Wikipedia (Finnish), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siank%C3%A4rs%C3%A4m%C3%B6

See also