yarrow

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Yarrow Benefits and How to make Yarrow Tea?

History

White flower headed Yarrow, aka Achillea millefolium, is said to derive from the Greek hero Achilles, who had an affinity to Yarrow, after being shown its many uses by Chiron the Centaur, and used this herb to heal soldiers during the Trojan war.

This sweet scented health has a rich healing history from around the world. Renowned for its ability to heal and repair, its feathery leaves have been used since ancient times to heal cuts, wounds and burns.

It grows abundantly beside roadsides and paths. Foraging for yarrow is fun in summertime but be careful for lookalikes.

Traditional Uses and Health Benefits

There is a good reason why this herb is known as a healing herb.

Yarrow has many funny nicknames including Nosebleed. If you have a nosebleed, you can stuff the leaves up your nose to stop the blood flow. Antiseptic and anti- inflammatory, it has the ability to rapidly stop the blood flow.

Yarrow is commonly used to help with issues like diarrhea and stomach issues. It is also used to help clear coughs, asthma, colds and liver disorders.

In manufacturing, yarrow is used as a cosmetic cleanser and in shampoos. The leaves and flowers are sometimes used in salads.

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Three ways to use yarrow

  1. Yarrow Tincture: You can make this traditional tincture by plucking off the flower heads, putting them into a glass container and covering them with alcohol for 6 weeks. Traditional dosage: 2 ml taken 2 times per day.
  2. Yarrow Herb Tea: Use 1-2 teaspoons per cup of boiling water and steep for 5 -10 minutes depending on taste.
  3. Yarrow Salad: The fern like leaves from this hero herb are sometimes used in salads.

How to make Delicious Yarrow Tea

For yarrow tea, simply put a 1-2 teaspoons of dried yarrow flowers in a tea pot, let it sit for 20 minutes, strain into a cup and enjoy a healthy tea.

If you want to treat yourself to a box of freshly dried yarrow you can get it in our Wild Store today.

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6 Wild Edible Plants found by the Sea

When people think of Coastal Foraging they often only consider the varieties of seaweeds and shellfish on offer but believe us, the wild edible plants growing by the seaside will give you plenty of food for thought. Conditions by the coast can make it difficult for some commonly found plants to survive. Strong winds and high tides are no match for these sturdy plants.

Here are just a few of our favourite wild edible plants to forage for by the sea:

Sea Beet

First and foremost is the dark green wild plant of Sea beet. This healthy green will greet you alongside sandy and rocky beaches across Europe. Like spinach the leaves can be added to stir-fry’s, used as a bed for your fish dishes and are a delicious vitamin full addition to your breakfast smoothies.

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Ox Eye Daisies

You can’t miss this friendly edible plant. In the past Ox Eye Daisies were used to treat coughs, asthma, ulcers and to clear sinus problems. It is a diuretic and a tonic. The flowers can be pickled or covered in batter and the young leaves can be used in a summer salad.

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Sea Radish

Looking for a homegrown supply of tasty greens to add to salads and dishes than sea radish is a great alternative source of greens that can be foraged all year round. This yellow headed grows in coastal areas and shines brightly in the summer months. The leaves work well in pesto recipes and the small pods are a great addition to summer salads.

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Yarrow

Be careful not to confuse yarrow for other poisonous plants such as hemlock. Both have white heads for flowers but there are two distinguishing features of Yarrow to look out for. First the glimpses of yellow in the flower heads and next the unmistakable fern-like leaves. They usually grow in groups and pop up in wasteland, countryside trails and along coastal pathways.

Sea Rocket

This coastal friend is a member of the mustard family. With great amounts of Potassium, calcium and Vitamin B this plant can provide a welcome boost to the immune system and all parts of the sea rocket plant are edible. This wild plant holds water and its hard, fleshy leaves make it easier to withstand any harsh coastal climate. Herbalists love to speak about the health benefits of this common wild plant.

We hope that you enjoy discovering these wild edible plants and find others to add to your favourite dishes. The great thing about foraging is that the land changes with the seasons are there are different plant varieties to be discovered throughout the year.

To start recording your foraging adventures feel free to download our Foragers Planner Pack and we have a special Herb Planner Pack for herb lovers out there.

To join us on on our food and foraging adventures please contact a member of the team.

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