Achillea millefolium

 

Achillea millefolium

Achillea millefolium, more commonly known as yarrow, is a UK native perennial wildflower with umbels of small flowers providing a convenient landing pad for insects. It is a member of the daisy family (Asteraceae) It is a valuable source of nectar for bees, butterflies, moths, beetles and flies, and has a long flowering period, from June to October, and sometimes into November.

Gardeners regard it as a companion plant to their vegetable or flower crops because some of the insects it attracts feed on pests. Ladybirds eat aphids, just as the larvae of hoverflies do. Lacewings eat mites, aphids and whiteflies, while parasitic wasps lay eggs inside garden pests.

The foliage remains green and ferny even in drought. The plant can also withstand wet conditions, but it needs to grow in full sun and will not thrive in shade. It gives shelter and food to the larvae of several moths, notably pug moths, though its natural oils are said to repel mosquitoes. The closely divided leaves are a folk remedy for treating cuts and stopping bleeding.

Yarrow spreads through seeds, and rhizomes will produce new shoots up to 30 cms from the original plant.

It has been cultivated as a garden plant with colours ranging from white and pastel yellow to bright orange and red. It is resistant to rabbit and deer.

The garden in late August

 

The garden in late August

 Lavatera 'Barnsley Baby'

A couple of months ago We moved this buddleja from the front garden, where it has lived for several years, to the back garden, and feared it would not survive. It has flowered beautifully - I hope it's not its last gasp!

 Achillea millefolium 'Summer Pastels'

 Coenosia tigrina on yarrow

Little fly with a big name on yarrow

Honeysuckle

Hibiscus

Garlic chives

Rose

Buddleja

Saururus cernuus in the pond

Commonly called 'lizard's tail', this aquatic plant disappears completely in winter.

Pears have been disappointing.  Lots of pear rust and only three or four pears from the trees.

Apples have been very productive - a large basketful every day.

                                                    Polyanthus

                                                       Apple mint

                                                        Plums

                                            Greengages

                                                    Chillies

Begonia fuchsioides on its summer hols

This cane begonia is ridiculously easy to propagate and grows like a weed. 

This is another of the house plants enjoying a summer holiday outside. This is Pachira aquatica, known as the Guiana chestnut or Money tree.

A to Z challenge 2023 – Y is for . . .

 

A to Z challenge 2023 – Y is for . . .

My theme for this challenge is Nature in all much of her wonderful diversity. My posts will reflect the fact that I am resident in the south of England.

All photographs in this post are the property of the writer.

Yellow archangel (Lamium galeobdolon)

Other names for this essentially wild perennial include artillery plant, cobbler’s bench or, my favourite, yellow weasel-snout. It grows throughout the UK but is most common in England and Wales and is a good source of nectar for bees. It prefers to grow in well-drained soil in full sun but will tolerate less favourable conditions.

Its leaves bear a similarity to those of the stinging nettle, but it is unrelated and is known as a dead-nettle. It may have evolved to look like stinging nettles as a defence against predators. It actually belongs in the mint family and its shoots and flowers are edible, either cooked or raw.

The name ‘archangel’ arises because it comes into flower around the time of St Michael’s Day on 27^th April.

 St Michael is an archangel in Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Bahai’i faith and is one of the lower angels. The higher orders of angels have more authority over their subordinates and look different. They may also have more wings or faces.

 In Christianity the three highest ranks are Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones, followed by the middle orders of Dominions, Virtues and Powers. The lowest ranks are Principalities, Archangels and Angels.

There is no such distinction among the dead-nettles.

The Celts believed that dead-nettles would protect them from evil spirits and guard their cattle from ‘elf-shot’. They thought that ‘elf-shot’ or ‘elf-stroke’ was a paralysis caused by arrows fired at the cattle’s heads by elves at the behest of witches.

Dead–nettles have been used for centuries in folk medicine, as a cure for kidney problems and bladder infections. They were also used to treat gout, sciatica and arthritis.

They are still used by herbalists today and there is some scientific evidence of the efficacy of them in treating common ailments.

Dead-nettles present in several different colours as white dead-nettle, red or purple dead-nettle and henbit dead-nettle as well as yellow archangel. Dead-nettles flower from the end of spring to early summer.

 

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

Yarrow is a widespread native perennial with a strong sweet scent. It attracts many insects when it flowers between June and November. The flat-topped flowering clusters are composed of many tiny flowers and come in white, pink, and shades of red, yellow and purple. It grows to a height of about 50 cms, forming clumps, and is reputed to be as attractive to butterflies as buddleja.

Yarrow has been used agriculturally to help restore arable land to grassland when sown with other native plants. It has also been introduced as a feed stuff for livestock in Australia and New Zealand.

Yarrow used to be considered a charm against bad luck and illness. Medically, it was used to stop wounds bleeding but conversely it was thought to cause nosebleeds if put up the nose. It is an anti-inflammatory and is an effective topical treatment for bruises and sprains. It is also anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, so good for cuts and stings.  Some birds, including the starling, line their nests with yarrow, perhaps as an inhibitor of parasites.

It is a member of the aster or daisy family.

Other popular names include old man’s pepper, devil’s nettle, milfoil and soldier’s woundwort. In Sweden it is called field hops and has been used to make beer.

‘Achillea’ in the plant’s name refers to the mythological Greek hero, Achilles. According to one legend, Achilles was held by his ankle and bathed in the River Styx. A different version says that he was dipped in water infused with yarrow and that the plant imbued him with its own protective powers. He used the plant to heal his wounded soldiers.

Achilles was killed by an arrow that hit the only weak point in his body, the part that had not been touched by the water, from which arose the expression ‘Achilles heel’, meaning weakness.