WildflowersWild and cultivated

Achillea millefolium

Yarrow

Feathery leaves support flat-topped white clusters. Wild plants and colourful garden cultivars can both be seen in Ireland.

See all four seasons Explore fruits, seeds & edibility ↓ Where to look & how to find it ↓

Some plants are poisonous. Do not identify by a photograph alone, and never taste them.

FIELDCRAFT · FIND WITH CARE

Finding guide

Start close to home

Choose the season, find the habitat, then watch patiently. Search guidance is not a measure of rarity or conservation status.

When to go: Often flowers June–November.
Where to start: Irish grassy verges and park borders. Compare leaf shape and individual flower heads, not colour alone.
What to do when you arrive: At grass edges, look for flat-topped clusters of small heads, then finely divided feathery leaves below. Garden colours vary; not every flat white flower cluster is Yarrow.

Habitat and behaviour reference: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · The practical steps are editorial advice based on the references, not live sightings.

ONE PLANT · FOUR SEASONS

One plant. Four seasons.

Look beyond the flowers: fresh leaves, fruits, bare stems and dormancy.

Meteorological seasons: spring March–May, summer June–August, autumn September–November and winter December–February. Irish weather, cultivar, pruning and plant age affect timing and appearance.

Photos illustrate the relevant feature, not the same plant photographed through a year in Ireland. Features shared across seasons, such as evergreen leaves, may use the same reference. Missing reliable photos are marked; dormancy is not death.

Spring

Mar–May

Foliage and growth

Finely divided feathery rosettes develop before stems elongate in late spring.

Summer

Jun–Aug

Flowers

Flat white or pale pink clusters open; garden cultivars may have other colours.

Autumn

Sep–Nov

Seeds and spent flowers

Some flowering continues while earlier clusters become brown dry heads.

Winter

Dec–Feb

Foliage and growth

Basal foliage may persist; dry flower stems depend on cutting and weather.

Seasonal references: Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

FRUIT · SEED · FOOD SAFETY

Fruits, seeds & edibility

Know the structure, then the part. Recognising a plant does not make it food.

Fruit

The small heads produce flattened, pale cypselae without a conspicuous pappus.

Food use of this part: Food safety not established by this guide

Seeds & dispersal units

Each dry fruit encloses one seed; photographs called seed images often show the whole cypsela.

Food use of this part: Food safety not established by this guide

Some seed references show intact one-seeded fruits or dispersal units, as identified in their captions. A whole-fruit photo is not a close-up of the enclosed seed. Cones and arils are not true fruits of flowering plants.

Sources & limitations

Wildflowers of Ireland ↗ · Botanical description, not proof of food safety
NC State Extension · Plant Toolbox ↗

No field detoxification methods or safe doses are provided. Never taste a plant to identify it or eat treated or contaminated specimens. Seek professional help after suspected accidental ingestion. National Poisons Information Centre, Ireland ↗

Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

BOTANICAL NOTESPlant notes

How to identify it

Finely dissected leaves and many small daisy-like heads in flat clusters. Wild flowers are usually white to pale pink, not true carrot-family umbels.

Where it grows

Meadows, verges, pastures and garden borders.

Growth and ecology

A perennial visited by diverse pollinators. Cultivar colours and heights vary.

Flowering and seasons

Often flowers June–November.

Where to look

Irish grassy verges and park borders. Compare leaf shape and individual flower heads, not colour alone.

Seasons vary with weather and location. Suggested habitats are places to look, not guaranteed sightings. Photos show only some features; check leaves, flowers, fruits and specialist references together.

Further reading:Wildflowers of Ireland ↗

Photo license: SAplants · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗ · License terms ↗
Photo resized, converted to JPEG and stripped of metadata.

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