The origins of the name Achillea are clear; the events surrounding the occasion of the naming a little less so. Dioscorides was a first century Greek physician who traveled as a surgeon in the Roman army.

While traveling, he collected and recorded information on herbal remedies. His work, translated into The Greek Herbal of Dioscorides in 1934, was a standard for centuries.

According to Dioscorides, that wise centaur, Chiron, was well versed in herbal medicines and counted Achilles and Hercules among his students. Achilles used the plant we know as Yarrow to check the bleeding of soldiers wounded in battle.

Chiron, always a modest centaur, allowed Achilles the honor of having the plant named after him.

Yarrow has been with us for thousands of years. Its first recorded appearance is in a grave, carbon dated to more than 60,000 years old, in present-day Iraq.

The Leech Book of Bald, written about 950 A.D. contains the first English language references to Yarrow. Bald was a monk, supposedly acquainted with Alfred, King of the Saxons, who was key in keeping the Danes away and consolidating England into a unified kingdom. Bald had a scribe record all the information he knew about healing plants.

The word Yarrow comes from the Anglo-Saxon gearwe, the meaning of which is not precisely known.

Medieval Britons knew Yarrow as all-healing with powers that transcended the physical realm. It was used as a protection against evil and wickedness, and kept witches away from babies' souls.

More prosaic uses included healing burns and snake bite or chewing on leaves to relieve toothache.

Achillea was used during the Civil War to stop bleeding from bullet and shrapnel wounds as its healing powers were thought to be especially effective against injury from iron.

There are claims that Achillea was used during World War I for similar purposes.

Whether Yarrow is native to the United States is still questioned. Some experts say yes; some say it was brought from Europe with the first settlers and quickly spread, becoming a noxious weed abhorred by farmers. Cows eating Yarrow could produce nasty-tasting milk.

Some experts maintain there are both native and introduced species, a claim supported by Native Americans' widespread use of Yarrow.

What can we do with the Yarrow we grow in our gardens? In addition to being a dependable plant requiring little maintenance, Yarrow can be quite useful.

Natural dye-makers can use Yarrow to produce yellow and olive green dyes.

Both the flowers and the foliage of Yarrow dry quite nicely. Flowers and leaves can be cut in late summer and then hung upside down to dry for use in wreaths and arrangements.

If Yarrow is cut back quite low to the ground after the first bloom, it will reward gardeners with a second bloom.

Some Yarrows spread into dense weed-suppressing mats which make them quite useful for difficult garden sites.

Yarrow is recommended if you're looking for a woody scent for a healing garden or for aromatherapy. Deer don't like it (unless they are at the point where they'll eat anything), and both the flowers and foliage are long lasting.

Depending on the species, Yarrow is hardy in Zones 3 through 8.

It grows between one to three feet high in full sun and is quite dependable, not asking for much from the soil it's planted in except that it be well-drained.

Flower heads are flat and colors include white, yellow, gold, pink and red. Foliage is feathery or fernlike and colored green to gray, making Yarrow a great filler plant.

There are many species of Yarrow; hybrids and cultivars continue to be produced.

Cerise queen is recommended as a well-behaved variety that grows to between 18 and 24 inches tall, along with Paprika, which has long-lasting orange-red flowers and reaches a height of 12 to 18 inches.

Coronation gold and its smaller cousin Moonshine are non-invasive, and have yellow flowers that look great in the flower or herb garden with lavender, Russian sage and the catmints.

Susan Struthers is a Master Gardener with the Penn State Master Gardener program.