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Achillea millefolium L.

Common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, yarrow

Yarrow is native to Europe, Eurasia, and Scandinavia, introduced throughout the U.S. and Canada, and invasive in some habitats. Numerous cultivars are available.

Common yarrow’s genus, Achillea, derives from the mythical Greek character Achilles, who carried it into battle for its medicinal properties. Yarrow’s species name, mille­folium, means “thou­sand-leaf,” a reference to yarrow’s myriad tiny leaves, resembling feathers. Some of its odder common names, such as devil’s plaything, devil’s nettle, and bad man’s plaything, appar­ently stem from its use in witchcraft.

Plants: Up to 3′ (91 cm) in height. The stem has woolly hairs.

Leaves: Feathery, fernlike, smooth or sparsely hairy, bi- and tripinnately divided, attached almost directly to the stem in a spiral pattern. Individual leaves are 1¾–8″ (5–20 cm) long. The leaves are the most obvious identifying characteristic.

Flowers: Flowers are flat-topped or umbrella-shaped corymbs 3–4″ (7.6–10 cm) across. Each flower is a composite flower, about ¼″ (6.3 mm) in diameter, with three to eight ray petals and 10-40 disc flowers. Natural flowers are white, sometimes pink, and cultivars are available in many other colors. Yarrows bloom from March to October.

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

by Sigman

Fruits: Flowerheads turn brown and hard, filled with numerous tiny seeds.

Habitats: Pastures, grasslands, woodlands, waste grounds, open forests, prairies, fallow fields, pathway edges, subalpine zones, and exposed ridges—nearly anywhere there is full or partial sun.

Edibility: Young yarrow leaves, which taste sweet with a bitter tinge, are said to be good when cooked like spinach, or in a soup. However, yarrow can be confused with the somewhat similar-appearing, extremely poisonous wes­tern water hemlock Skull & Crossbones, so don’t eat yarrow unless you are absolutely certain of its identity.

Medicinal uses: Yarrow contains several chemicals which are used medically. It was believed to have healing powers and applied topically to treat wounds and staunch bleeding. An amazing number of other purported herbal uses are discussed in the Wikipedia article.

Online References:

Wikipedia

Floridata.com

KingdomPlantae.net

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center

Plants for a Future

 

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

8/31/2014 · New Mex­ico · ≈ 5 × 4″ (13 × 10 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

10/12/2013 · Flat Rock Hill Trail, off Skytop Lane, Dunstable, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (15 × 22 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

7/26/2025 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 8 × 5″ (19 × 12 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

8/4/2006 · Mt. Mansfield, Stowe, Ver­mont

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

7/31/2016 · Skyline Drive, Shenandoah Nation, Virginia

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

7/25/2025 · River Point Conservation Area, Falmouth, Maine · ≈ 4½ × 7″ (11 × 17 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

5/31/2010 · Mt. Lebanon St., Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 9″ (17 × 23 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

6/27/2025 · Butler Head Preserve, Bath, Maine · ≈ 8 × 10″ (19 × 26 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

10/12/2013 · Flat Rock Hill Trail, off Skytop Lane, Dunstable, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 6″ (18 × 15 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

6/22/2021 · Tarbox Preserve, Topsham, Maine · ≈ 5 × 3″ (12 × 8.4 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

9/16/2013 · Townsend Wildlife Management Area, Townsend, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 5 × 7″ (13 × 16 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

5/31/2010 · Mt. Lebanon St., Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 8 × 7″ (21 × 18 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

6/14/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 9″ (14 × 22 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

8/31/2014 · New Mex­ico · ≈ 4 × 3″ (9.9 × 8.2 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

8/3/2009 · 111 Near 119, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 3½ × 4½″ (9.2 × 11 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

6/13/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

This pale pink variety is not as common as the white variety. · 6/29/2014 · Mount Agamenticus, York, Maine · ≈ 5 × 4½″ (13 × 12 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

9/18/2016 · Edgar M. Tennis Preserve, Deer I, Maine

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

8/3/2009 · 111 Near 119, Pepperell, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 1 × 1½′ (36 × 54 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

6/7/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 5 × 4″ (12 × 10 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

6/14/2012 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton Center, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

9/19/2009 · Acadia National Park, Bar Harbor, Maine ID is uncertain

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

6/13/2016 · Nashua River Rail Trail, Groton, Groton, Mass­a­chu­setts

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

9/18/2016 · Edgar M. Tennis Preserve, Deer I, Maine

Achillea millefolium (common yarrow, gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier’s woundwort, thousand-leaf, thousand-seal, yarrow)

8/15/2015 · Grafton Notch State Park, Newry, Maine · ≈ 4 × 3½″ (10 × 9 cm)

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae (from Stearn's Botanical Latin)
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassAsteridaeA large class that encompasses asters
OrderAsteralesFlowering plants with a central disk flower and surrounding petals, like daisies
FamilyAsteraceaeThe aster family, which also includes daisies and sunflowers; from the Greek ἀστήρ, “star,” for the star-shaped flowers
GenusAchilleaYarrows; “Achillea” means “Achilles,” who used the herb in battle
SpeciesmillefoliumMeans “thousand-leaf,” for the finely divided leaves

About plant names...

Range: Zones 3-9:

About this map...

Achillea millefolium description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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