Indian Pipe, an exotic and unusual plant

If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. – Jim Rohn 

Indian Pipes with their turned down pipe bowls. Photo: suzn80, Flickr ccl

I was up to the beach with Henry last evening to do some thinking. It's nice to have a calm place to think. While I was there I saw the Indian Pipes were still in bloom. I thought they had passed. This post, a year old, talks about them. - Docaitta

Here’s an interesting post today, or at least I hope you find it so. It’s about one of the more unusual plants that grow in Nova Scotia. You would think it’s a fungus, but it’s not.

I just caught some specimens near the end of their growing season. That's why the beauty shot is from Flickr.

The plant in question is called Monotropa uniflora. We locally call it Indian Pipe. It’s interesting because it produces absolutely no chlorophyll and therefore is completely white, or nearly so.

As the plants age the "pipe bowls" straighten and face upward.

This being a plant is unusual because chlorophyll is the pigment that is crucial for plants to photosynthesize light and grow. It uses a completely different system to generate energy.

Indian Pipe, also known as Ghost Plant or Corpse Plant is a herbaceous perennial plant. It is native to temperate regions of Asia, North America and northern South America. It is fairly rare in occurrence.

Indian Pipe is usually seen from June to September and is usually found near rotting wood or on very compost-rich forest floors. Its height varies greatly from 2-3 inches to upwards of 10. It is unmistakable because it is very white, the stems have small leaves more accurately called “scales” and the bowl-like flower top crooks over in the shape of a pipe.

The colloquial name is quite possibly due to it being used medicinally by Native Americans to treat eye conditions. I have no idea how it was used in that manner.

Its rarity is due, in part to the special circumstances it needs to grow. It needs two specific helpers in close proximity. Also because of these circumstances, unlike green plants, Indian Pipe can grow where there is very, very little light, like in dark forest floors. But it is almost impossible to replicate those conditions in a home garden.

How it grows

Indian Pipe has to receive nutrients from other sources since it doesn’t photosynthesize sunlight. Its roots tap into the mycelia (root-like threads) of Russula and Lactarius mushrooms. The Indian Pipe takes nutrients directly from those fungus. 

In turn, those fungi's mycelia tap into tree roots for their energy – because they have no chlorophyll either. Many fungi and trees have this type of relationship. The fungus gives nutrients to the tree and the tree gives nutrients to the fungus. Both organisms help each other out.

Indian Pipe doesn’t supply any nutrients to either. It is therefore a parasitic plant.

Can you eat it?

Well, yes, but… It’s mildly toxic when raw, but apparently not so when cooked. References say it tastes like asparagus when cooked. 

I have heard references that it’s “palatable” but not “choice” (to use mushroom-speak). By that I mean people don’t go out and search it out like cranberries, blueberries or chanterelle mushrooms. There’s not a lot known and all the references seem to link back to one source.

At the end of their lifecycle the stems turn black and dry out.

That source was from a local scientist’s book written at the turn of the 1900s. The author’s name was W.H. Prest, of Bedford, Nova Scotia. He wrote Edible Plants of Nova Scotia. In it he informs about much of the local flora of Nova Scotia and their degree of edibility.

He wrote: “Monotropa uniflora L. Indian Pipe, locally ‘Death-Plant.’ White semitransparent stalk 2 1/2 in. to 5 in. high, with highly organized flower of five petals, without smell, stalk with thin transparent scales or leaflets, tender and almost tasteless. Parboil, then boil or roast, comparable to asparagus. In dry or moderately dry soil in thick woods, June to August. Generally distributed and abundant.”

He thought it was abundant. Maybe in 1905, but not so much now, or at least not in my experience.

I believe the reference to “death plant” is more to do with its ghostly looks than any overriding toxicity. But, as with all things, caution should be exercised if looking for this to eat.

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Veggie Garden Update

Mary, Mary, quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With silver bells, and cockle shells, And pretty maids all in a row. – Old English nursery rhyme

It's growing not too shabbily, thank you very much.

That was what was going through my head as I was taking today’s photos of our first foray into vegetable growing. Part of our plan on moving to the country was to become more self-sufficient. Our vegetable garden is a key component in that plan.

Our garden has no silver bells or cockle shells – and not one of our pretty maids have sprouted yet. But’s that’s more than likely a good thing. They would probably just crawl, zombie-like, from the ground and trample all our vegetables!!

Our fencing has kept the critters out so far.

We’re making headway

But all kidding aside, our garden is progressing fairly well, thank you very much. And I have the pictures to prove it. We have a great start on peas, beans, carrots, swiss chard, cucumbers and squash, plus others.

The "big" row are radishes. Thank goodness Henry or
Bouvier likes them too!

Our mesclun mix will soon have to be dealt with as will our radishes – the thickest growers of the lot. Thank goodness I have discovered you can eat the greens. We’ll be doing that soon, because they desperately need to be thinned. This weekend, in fact.

We have planted basil and dill from seed (about 1 week ago) that have sprouted, and the plant set herbs (Italian parsley, curly parsley, and the rest) are all settling in quite nicely.

Our tomatoes seem to be getting enough sunshine too. They are growing strong stems to hold the weight of our (hoped for) future crop. All of them are doing well. Sweets, yellow pear, pink, heirloom, roma... I can’t wait!!

Nursery rhymes are weird

Besides the pictures I thought I would give you a little background on the opening quote, just for fun. As we all know, it’s a common nursery rhyme from centuries ago. But where do they come from? When you realize what they actually may reference, you wonder why on earth children would be saying them.

For example, another very common one – “ring around the rosie” – is widely believed to be about the symptoms of the Great Plague of 1665 in England. We all fall down? Grim...

Beans and peas staked and ready for growth.

"Mary, Mary" is in the same vein. Three common interpretations all revolve around the state of Catholicism in the British Isles during the Tudor and Stewart reigns.

Silver bells are thought to refer to sanctus bells. The cockle shells are supposedly an allusion to the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela in Spain. The symbol of the walk is a scallop shell. The “pretty maids”? Nuns. It’s indeterminate if the rhyme is about the actual persecution of Catholics or a lament for its disappearance in the kingdom.

You can still do the pilgrimage today, as a vacation. We have a good friend who has walked it a few times – not for religious reasons but for fun. The actual pilgrimage route is the same one as Medieval times. Each stage takes a day and you have a designated stop-over so you know where you’re going to lay your head. 

It takes her almost a month, but who can argue about walking through the north of Spain in early summer. It is beautiful and relaxing, both by her personal account and her photos.

The "other" garden.

Another theory of the rhyme is about Mary Queen of Scots. This time the cockle shells refer to her husband, who apparently wasn’t all that faithful to her (cockle = cuckold). The pretty maids are her four ladies-in-waiting, all named Mary.

The third theory has to do with Mary I of England. "How does your garden grow" has to do with her childless reign that produced no heir. By most accounts she was seen as “quite contrary” to many in England with her attempts to reverse the religious changes instated by her father Henry VIII. Pretty maids, by some, refer to her many miscarriages.

Kind of creepy and/or deep stuff for children to be singing about, no? But rhyme they did, and these verses are still known today. How they became widespread is anyone’s guess. Some even cross languages and countries.

Weird, or what?

These plant supports came from the Dollarstore. $2 for 3, and they're bamboo.

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Looking for this plant...

Dicentra Spectabilis, "Gold Heart"

When we sold our house in Halifax our fantastic Gold Heart Bleeding Heart went with it.

I'm sure it's brining its new owners joy, but I miss it terribly. It was like a light in our spring time garden.

You can find white and red, but this one's not too common. The leaves are a fantastic light green/gold.

If anyone knows where it can be purchased (through the Valley, South Shore or around Halifax) drop me a line. Thanks, friends!

Docaitta.

Lillies. Work now. Enjoy later.

Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they labour not, neither do they spin. – Matthew 6:28

Lillium supurbum (Turk's cap lilies), a few years go.

Yesterday was the first time all year I spent any real time playing in the ground.

I did it because I had to. I purchased some lilies from Canadian Tire on Friday. Now is the time to stick them in the ground, without delay. Our current lilies from previous years are bursting out of the ground at a rapid rate.

Day lilies at the old house in Halifax.

Two types of lilies

What kind of lilies you may ask. That can be a complicated question. Common name and real names sometimes don’t mean the same thing.

We have two main types of “lilies” in Nova Scotia: day lilies, and then the rest – true lilies. They’re easy to tell apart.

Day lilies

Day lilies, as the name suggests, have blooms that last only one day before withering. The stems contain many buds that mature, one after another, giving constant bloom for up to a couple weeks in very late spring/early summer. They have strap-like leaves and the blooms are at the end of leafless stocks.

Day lilies are not real lilies. Their proper name is hemerocallis. It comes from the combination of the Greek words for “day” and “beautiful.”  They grow from rhizomes close to the surface of the ground. It doesn’t take long for a large mass to form if they’re in a happy spot.

Day lilies are divided into two main types: diploid (the old fashioned spindly ones) and tetraploid (the big flowered sturdy ones). Tetraploids have had their chromosomes increased. Both varieties come in re-blooming varieties, which is a good thing to look for. Hemerocallis seem to come and go far too quickly.

These are some of the bulblets that grow on the stalks of
many lillium. You can plant them and get more plants. First
year there's just one leaf. Give them time.

Lillium

“True” lilies (lilium) grow from a bulb composed of “scales.” The bulbs can be quite large on mature plants. They most commonly reproduce by the bulb naturally dividing. So the year after you have a fantastic tall lily you may have two sad, spindly ones. Never fear. If in a good spot they’ll come back strong.

Lillium have leaves that appear along the stem and they can grow to quite impressive height. For a few years in Halifax we had a “Scheherazade” that grew to well over six feet with approaching 20 flowers. Stunning. It was an “Orienpet” type – a cross.

True lilies come in several different forms: Asiatics, Martagons, Candidiums, Longiflorum, Trumpet, Orientals, and species (plus a few others). Each has a different looking flower and height, but all come from that scaly bulb. Orienpet is a cross between Oriental and Trumpet. Most true lilies are highly fragrant.

Many lilies have multiple ways to reproduce. For example, they can divide underground, produce seed from the flowers, and then (especially in tiger lilies) also grow odd little bulbs where the leaves meet the stalk. Plant them and in a few years you will have many, many more lilies.

Here’s an interesting fact. Even with all the breeding, no blue lilies have ever been produced.

A small section of the day lilies we have across the front of our property.

Buying lilies

Lilies of all kinds are in full force now in pots at garden centres and as bare root bulbs even in grocery stores. 

Most day lilies are sold in pots, so all you do is take them home and plant. They’re not cheap. Never buy a day lily that hasn’t poked through its ground by now. There will be tears before bedtime if you do.

If buying lillium “bare root,” only buy bags that feel like they have some weight to them. Light bags mean the bulbs may be withered and/or dead. 

This clump of day lilies is in desperate need of division.

Lillium in bags with wood shavings are quite affordable. I paid $6.69 for 5 bulbs per bag of some very nice Oriental hybrids. I got two bags. I may buy more.

The longer those bulbs stay in the bag the more chance you run of them drying out so plant as soon as you’re able. Our other lilies are up several inches already, and the new bulbs had stalk growth emerging.

Planting and dividing

When planting, put lillium bulbs at least a few inches under the ground, but don’t worry too, too much about how deep. A few inches is good. Lillium have roots that actually drag the bulb down to its proper depth. Weird, huh?

Often as lillium mature and divide they can crowd each other out. If you see you have a clump that may be a little tight you can move them in spring. 

True lilies. Up a good 3-4" inches already. They can
probably stand to be re-spaced next year.

Carefully dig a circle out a way from the sprouts. If you get too close you may slice down through a bulb. Divide the bulbs from each other. If possible, leave some dirt around each bulb as you do so. Replant and you’re done.

If you want to transplant hemerocallis now is the time too. Actually, a couple weeks ago would have been better, but you can still do it now, or in the Fall if you would prefer.

Day lilies can form dense mats quite quickly. If you dog up the clump you will see it’s composed of many, many separate rhizomes. Each one is capable of producing a day lily. 

When I divide I tend to replant them in bunches so there’s not a sad, lonely single lily standing by itself. They’re far more effective in clumps.

I’m working to have a row of day lilies the full way across the front of the property. It’s getting there. They are absolutely stunning when in bloom.

The weather is supposed to be glorious here today. I would imagine I’ll be out mucking around in my lilies again.

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Recipe: How to Make Oil of Oregano

Be careful about reading health books. You may die of a misprint. – Mark Twain

I made mine last night, so it still has to steep for two weeks before use.

Oil of oregano was brought to my attention recently by a friend of mine. Oil of oregano comes from the leaves and flowers. She uses it to ward off colds and soothe sore throats, among other things.

I thought it warranted investigation, especially because it can be a little on the expensive side when purchased at a health food store. 

Oregano (Origanum vulgare), is the cooking herb we all know so well from Middle Eastern, Greek and Italian food. It’s sometimes called the “pizza” herb. It is native to the warmer areas of Eurasia and the Mediterranean. 

In those areas it is a perennial that can grow as high as 20 inches, if given the right conditions. Those conditions are plenty of sun and soil that’s a little on the alkaline side, but it will grow in less than optimal conditions.

The variety we purchase at the grocery store is O. vulgare, but sources say that other varieties are more superior in taste, with more pungency and spiciness. So if you’re looking to plant from seed, maybe try a different variety.

Oregano. Photo: RaeAllen, Flickr ccl

Health Claims

Oregano has a long history as a medicinal herb. The ancient Greeks used oregano as an antiseptic, as well as a cure for stomach and respiratory ailments. 

Oregano is high in antioxidants, due to a concentration of phenolic acids and flavonoids. It also has shown some potential antimicrobial activity against strains of the food-borne Listeria monocytogenes.

These claims have not been completely verified by scientific studies.In fact, in 2005 the US Federal Trade Commission sued a firm advertising their oil of oregano for an effective treatment for colds, flu and viral infections. 

In their suit the USFTC claimed the statements were false and/or misleading. Their contention was there was insufficient scientific study to back up health claims.

The following information about the potential health benefits of oil of oregano is from a book called “The Cure is in the Cupboard,” by Cass Ingram, MD. I don't seem to be able to find any scientific websites to back up the claims in the book. The only sources citing health benefits of oil of oregano are naturopathic. That doesn't make the information wrong, just perhaps not a scientifically verified as one would hope for the significant benefits claimed. 

In it are made several interesting statements. Oil of oregano is contains a powerful phenol, carvacrol, that makes it a topical antiseptic and antiviral. It is supposed to aid in the treatment of acne, cold sores and slight fungal infections.

Oil of oregano is also supposed to aid in warding off colds and flu due to antiviral properties that stimulate the production of white blood cells. It supposedly can also alleviate annoying cold symptoms, particularly congestion, sore throats, coughs and runny noses.

Oil of oregano is also supposed to have anti-inflammatory properties that make it a candidate to treat arthritis and headaches. It also may have the ability to aid digestion and intestinal health through the carvacol and thymol present in the oil.  

For some interesting contrary information about medicinal use of oil of oregano, visit http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/index.php/oil-of-oregano/

It's as easy as heating oil with the bruised herb.

True or not, it’s useful stuff...

Most benefits seem to be anecdotal, as protested by the USFTC, and it has yet to be borne out by rigorous scientific study. At the very least it can’t hurt… Ancient peoples found it useful, and tasty. 

It must be noted that some people have adverses gastric and allergic reactions to oil of oregano.

We seem to be so enamoured now with synthetic medicines we often forget that most have their roots in natural sources. The Greeks still use a strain of oregano to homoeopathically treat sore throats today.

Oil of oregano is an interesting cooking ingredient, imparting a strong oregano flavour to any foods fried or sautéed in it. If you make it at home it’s also cost-efficient.

I most probably will try this with other oils. Anyone up for pork chops browned in sage oil?

To make your own at home is very easy, but it does take two weeks.Total cost to make about 1 cup was $2.50 for the oregano and about 75¢ for the grapeseed oil, if that much.

Homemade Oil of Oregano

Prep: 5 min  |  Steep: 2 weeks

equal volumes of 

oregano leaves

grapeseed oil

Remove the oregano leaves from the stems. Measure to see how much you have. Place in a pot and muddle well with a blunt object like a soon handle or similar tool (like a pestle).

Add an equal amount of grapeseed oil and heat gently just until the oil is almost too hot to put a  (very clean) finger in.

Don't let the oil get hot – just very warm. You don’t want to fry the oregano.

Place in a very clean jar with a well fitting lid and let steep for two weeks. Over that time the oil should take on a slight green tinge as the essential oil excretes from the leaves. Strain out the leaves.

Decant into a bottle and use either for the above health benefits or as a cooking oil.

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One Weird Wild Plant: Indian Pipe

If you are not willing to risk the unusual, you will have to settle for the ordinary. – Jim Rohn 

Indian Pipes with their turned down pipe bowls. Photo: suzn80, Flickr ccl

Here’s an interesting post today, or at least I hope you find it so. It’s about one of the more unusual plants that grow in Nova Scotia. You would think it’s a fungus, but it’s not.

I just caught some specimens near the end of their growing season. That's why the beauty shot is from Flickr.

The plant in question is called Monotropa uniflora. We locally call it Indian Pipe. It’s interesting because it produces absolutely no chlorophyll and therefore is completely white, or nearly so.

As the plants age the "pipe bowls" straighten and face upward.

This being a plant is unusual because chlorophyll is the pigment that is crucial for plants to photosynthesize light and grow. It uses a completely different system to generate energy.

Indian Pipe, also known as Ghost Plant or Corpse Plant is a herbaceous perennial plant. It is native to temperate regions of Asia, North America and northern South America. It is fairly rare in occurrence.

Indian Pipe is usually seen from June to September and is usually found near rotting wood or on very compost-rich forest floors. Its height varies greatly from 2-3 inches to upwards of 10. It is unmistakable because it is very white, the stems have small leaves more accurately called “scales” and the bowl-like flower top crooks over in the shape of a pipe.

The colloquial name is quite possibly due to it being used medicinally by Native Americans to treat eye conditions. I have no idea how it was used in that manner.

Its rarity is due, in part to the special circumstances it needs to grow. It needs two specific helpers in close proximity. Also because of these circumstances, unlike green plants, Indian Pipe can grow where there is very, very little light, like in dark forest floors. But it is almost impossible to replicate those conditions in a home garden.

How it grows

Indian Pipe has to receive nutrients from other sources since it doesn’t photosynthesize sunlight. Its roots tap into the mycelia (root-like threads) of Russula and Lactarius mushrooms. The Indian Pipe takes nutrients directly from those fungus. 

In turn, those fungi's mycelia tap into tree roots for their energy – because they have no chlorophyll either. Many fungi and trees have this type of relationship. The fungus gives nutrients to the tree and the tree gives nutrients to the fungus. Both organisms help each other out.

Indian Pipe doesn’t supply any nutrients to either. It is therefore a parasitic plant.

Can you eat it?

Well, yes, but… It’s mildly toxic when raw, but apparently not so when cooked. References say it tastes like asparagus when cooked. 

I have heard references that it’s “palatable” but not “choice” (to use mushroom-speak). By that I mean people don’t go out and search it out like cranberries, blueberries or chanterelle mushrooms. There’s not a lot known and all the references seem to link back to one source.

At the end of their lifecycle the stems turn black and dry out.

That source was from a local scientist’s book written at the turn of the 1900s. The author’s name was W.H. Prest, of Bedford, Nova Scotia. He wrote Edible Plants of Nova Scotia. In it he informs about much of the local flora of Nova Scotia and their degree of edibility.

He wrote: “Monotropa uniflora L. Indian Pipe, locally ‘Death-Plant.’ White semitransparent stalk 2 1/2 in. to 5 in. high, with highly organized flower of five petals, without smell, stalk with thin transparent scales or leaflets, tender and almost tasteless. Parboil, then boil or roast, comparable to asparagus. In dry or moderately dry soil in thick woods, June to August. Generally distributed and abundant.”

He thought it was abundant. Maybe in 1905, but not so much now, or at least not in my experience.

I believe the reference to “death plant” is more to do with its ghostly looks than any overriding toxicity. But, as with all things, caution should be exercised if looking for this to eat.

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Plant Identification: "Deadly" Nightshade

Once the last tree is cut and the last river poisoned, you will find you cannot eat your money. – Anonymous

Photo: Mollivan Jon, Flickr ccl

I remember being warned about Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) from the same age as I was warned about poison ivy. I was to never eat it and shouldn't even touch it – either one, to be exact.

Photo: tdietmut, Flickr ccl

Now that's certainly sound advice to instill in a child, because it's only a "one, two, three" before one of these deceptively delicious-looking fruits would end up in the mouth. So if you're warned to not touch it, the chances are lessened they'll even be in your hand.

You child will encounter it. Make no mistake. It's quite common in Nova Scotia and will even spring up, uninvited, in our flower gardens.

We have two varieties of nightshade in Nova Scotia. This, the most common variety, has many different names, including European bittersweet, bitter nightshade, bittersweet nightshade, blue nightshade, fellenwort and woody nightshade. Locally we call it "deadly" nightshade. 

The berries are red and quite attractive. The other type in Nova Scotia (Solanum nigrum) is pretty much the same looking plant except it has black berries as opposed to red, and white flowers instead of purple.

Nightshade is native to Europe and Asia, but is now naturalized almost world wide, where it is an invasive weed.

It can grow in woodlands to scrubland, hedges and marshes. Nightshade is a semi-woody perennial vine, which scrambles over other plants, and is capable of reaching a height of 12 feet, although 3-5 feet is far more common. The leaves are arrowhead-shaped, and often lobed at the base. 

Nightshade flowers bloom in loose groups. They are star-shaped with five purple petals and yellow stamens and style. The resulting fruit is an oval red berry that serve as food for many birds. In fact, it is an important food source for some European thrushes. I have found from personal experience the little fruits actually smell a little like tomatoes, not unpleasant at all.

It's interesting information about being food for birds, because the information on human consumption is sharply divided.

Even more interesting is that three members of the Solanum family are cultivated as extremely important food crops for humans. What are they? The tomato, potato and eggplant.

The berries do look very edible, which makes them a risk for
ingestion by children. Photo: Arthur Chapman, Flickr ccl

I found the following post online, from no other source than our own Canadian Biodiversity Information Facility:

General poisoning notes:

Climbing nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) is a naturalized woody vine that is found along fencerows, among shrubbery, and at wood edges across most of southern Canada. The plant, especially in its green immature fruits, contains steroidal alkaloids, which have caused poisoning in cattle and sheep. Humans may have been poisoned after ingesting immature berries. Recent experiments show that the mature red berries contain only a small amount of toxin and have little chance of harming children (Alexander et al. 1948, Cooper and Johnson 1984, Hornfeldt and Collins 1989).

See the actual online post here: http://www.cbif.gc.ca/pls/pp/ppack.info?p_psn=55&p_type=all&p_sci=sci

So I guess it's the immature berries that are to be avoided more than the mature. Good info to know, or is it???

Photo: ekenitr, Flickr ccl

Just when I was believing our Canadian Government (for the first time in a long time...), I found this in the Nova Scotia Poison Plant database from the NS Museum system:

{Poisoning] symptoms resemble those caused by ingestion of green potatoes: abdominal distress, headaches, and weakness, among more serious indications.

Most toxic are the leaves and unripened (green) berries.

Poison Location

All parts are toxic, especially seeds, fruit, and leaves.

Poison Type

Indole alkaloids in jimsonweed; and solanine, another toxic alkaloid, in green potatoes and nightshades.

See http://museum.gov.ns.ca/poison/?section=species&id=120

Although fatal human poisonings are rare, there have been several cases. The active poison is believed to be solanine. Solanine is a glycoalkaloid and is the exact same compound that makes green-tinged potatoes inedible. 

If you're interested in what other plants are lurking around that might kill you, take a look at the following.This is a little self-serving, but here's a link to a brochure published by our own IWK Health Centre. It lists a great number of poisonous plants that can be found in the wild or in the home. It's a very useful guide for any parent – or even pet owner.

http://www.iwkpoisoncentre.ca/assets/files/plantguide.pdf

Why self-serving? I designed the brochure! (Many years ago now...)

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Foraging for Medicine: Yarrow

Most men die of their remedies, not of their illnesses. – Molière

Yarrow blossoms. Each flower is about 5mm (1/4") wide or even smaller.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) is one of those wildflowers that is sort of easy to miss. 

It’s not that we don’t see it, it’s just that—for most people—it’s not very pretty. Or at least not as pretty as many of the other more showy wildflowers we have in Nova Scotia.

I believe the height of wild yarrow has to do with how good
the soil is where it is growing. It stands to reason that would
be the case. These specimens are about 12" (30 cm) high.

What it looks like

Yarrow is an herb that grows between 1-3’ high. The flower heads are flat inflorescence (bunches) of small, five petalled white blooms that have a strong odour reminiscent of sage. The flowers occur from July through October. 

If you’re lucky you will also stumble upon the pink variety. The plant is identical except the blooms are ever so slightly tinged delicate pink. From what I have read this is not native but is a European introduction. I always thought it was just a variation of the same flower. 

Non-native ornamental yarrows (for gardens) can be purchased at most garden centres, available in colours from very bright red to even lilac. I believe I may have even seen an orange one once.

The flat heads of yarrow are sort of reminiscent of lace, but not nearly as open and delicate as Queen Anne’s Lace. Yarow flower heads are quite dense although small.

The sturdy stems are covered with fine wooly hairs as are the feathery leaves. Both are a grayish-green colour. Although leaves appear on the stems, the majority of them are at ground level.

This perennial reproduces via seed and by rhizomes. The deep, creeping roots actually make the plant quite drought tolerant.

You can find yarrow growing in quite a few different places, such as ditches, pastures, shorelines ad woodlands. One requirement for it to do well is acidic soil. It also likes dry rocky soil, which accounts for it being seen in disturbed areas.

Yarrow can found in most provinces of Canada, including the Yukon and North West Territories.

Medical qualities

Yarrow is best known for its medicinal qualities. Its volatile oils are antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and diuretic, and its tannins are astringent. The alkaloids present are both hypotensive and hypoglycemic. Yarrow even has coumarin, which helps reduce high blood pressure.

The bitterness, when tasted, denotes the presence of flavonoids and alkaloids. These compounds have effects on the digestive system, tissues and the blood stream.

Native Canadians used yarrow to treat headaches, stings, cuts, sores, burns, and nosebleeds. Today, extracts from the plant can be found in many pharmaceuticals. Application varies from cramps, nausea, and inflammation to fevers, colds and aromatherapy uses.

Other uses

Here are a couple other uses for yarrow. The leaves and flowers can be boiled as tea. An early reference cites the tea as useful for “melancholia”. The flowers can also be used as a dye. The colour ranges from yellow through to light olive green.

So always remember that what may seem uninteresting or attractive on the surface usually has far more going for it than what meets the eye.

I find this not only in plants, but people too...

Of course, if you're planning to "self medicate" think twice.Although yarrow is a staple on natural medicine always consult with a doctor before adding any medicinals to your diet. There could always be conflicts with medicines you currently take. Sometimes serious conflicts.

So be aware, and be safe.

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