Content
- To recognize the yarrow in the nature and in the garden
- Recognize the yarrow on its flowers
- The leaves as a good identifying feature for the yarrow
- Basic characteristics of the yarrow
- Tips
The yarrow can be u.a. recognize by their stature height and their smell
To recognize the yarrow in the nature and in the garden
The yarrow is not only its centuries-old medicinal plant, but also popular as an edible ingredient of wild herb salads. Since it sometimes has dangerous "doppelgangers" in nature, an exact determination of the plant is very important.
Recognize the yarrow on its flowers
The large family of yarrow subspecies is now widespread worldwide and comes in addition to the familiar white form in numerous color variants. During flowering, yarrow can be recognized in part by the characteristic, sweetish odor emitted by the single flowers arranged in cymes. However, the flowers of inexperienced herbalists and children are sometimes confused with those of dappled hemlock and giant hogweed, which can lead to fatal consequences due to the poison content of these doppelgangers. The flowers of the yarrow vary in their appearance in each case from subspecies to subspecies something.
The leaves as a good identifying feature for the yarrow
While there is a certain similarity of the respective inflorescences in the yarrow doubles, the leaves are generally a fairly distinct characteristic of the yarrow. The leaves of the yarrow look very fine and dainty in their elongated form. They are alternate, that is, they branch off alternately laterally from the stem of the plant. The pinnate leaves grow out in a round rosette form from the perennial yarrow surviving organ. The aromatic leaves can be eaten fresh in small amounts or used as greens.
Basic characteristics of the yarrow
While the giant hogweed as a fully grown plant is significantly larger than the yarrow, confusion nevertheless sometimes occur in children or during the growth phase in the spring. To play it safe when determining plants, different characteristics should always be considered:
Yarrow is often found along the edges of the road and emits a rather sweet and quite pleasant smell.
Tips
Collect yarrow for drying as tea only if you can determine it safely. Otherwise just ask herbalists for help or rely on sheep's tea from the pharmacy.