Yarrow, the “bad” herb with a thousand virtues

Take bog myrtle and lemongrass. Add sermontain, chili pepper, pine resin, ginger, cherry, oriental spices; without forgetting the essential yarrow. Let it dry then add everything to your basin of clear water where the germinated barley is already soaking with natural yeast. Heat gently and, if you know how, you will have recreated the beer that was drunk in the Middle Ages, much tastier and sweeter than today.

Because long before the reign of hops and its bitterness, it was this mixture of plants which ensured the (limited) conservation and flavoring of this popular beverage. And the yarrow particularly stands out in this bouquet. Excuse me: according to legend, it owes its name to the ancient Achilles, whose wounds it treated. Because this plant likes to take in the light and synthesizes numerous active molecules against bleeding, inflammation, rheumatism and bacterial infections in particular. Uses that many cultures around the world and for centuries have recognized, making it one of the favored plants in their traditional pharmacopoeia.

And what about the delight of its nectar for honey insects? From May to October, they feast on these large corymbs composed of several dozen small flower heads measuring 5 to 6 mm, white, yellowish or pink.