Mineral Wildflower Festival

Technical Name

Achillea millefolium

Informal Names

• Common yarrow

• Milfoil

• Soldier's woundwort

• Bloodwort

• Thousand-leaf

Key Characteristics

The Flower Cluster: Features small, white (or occasionally soft pink) flower heads arranged in dense, flat-topped, umbrella-like clusters (corymbs) at the top of sturdy stems.

The Foliage: Easily distinguished by its highly dissected, feathery, fern-like leaves. The species name millefolium translates to "thousand-leaf," referencing this intricate, finely divided leaf structure.

Aroma: When crushed, both the leaves and flowers release a highly distinct, pungent, sweet-spicy or camphor-like herbal fragrance.

Growth Habit: An erect perennial herb that spreads via a network of creeping underground rhizomes, typically growing between 1 to 3 feet tall.

Notable Significance

Medicinal Heritage: Its genus name, Achillea, honors the mythical Greek hero Achilles, who according to legend used the plant to staunch the bleeding wounds of his soldiers. It contains compounds that aid in blood clotting, earning it names like "bloodwort."

Ecological Value: An exceptional insectary plant, its flat, open flower platforms are highly attractive to beneficial predatory insects like hoverflies, ladybugs, and parasitic wasps, as well as native bees and butterflies.

Drought & Fire Resilience: Highly adaptable and deeply rooted, it is remarkably drought-tolerant and serves as an excellent soil stabilizer in erosion-prone mountain environments.

Locations Found

Habitat: Exceptionally versatile, it grows in dry to moderately moist soils across open meadows, forest clearings, gravelly roadsides, and disturbed areas.

Elevation Range: Found from sea level all the way up to subalpine ridges. Around the Mineral and Lassen regions, it commonly blooms throughout the summer at elevations ranging from 4,000 to 9,000 feet.