Achillea Millefolium, Common Yarrow

Achillea millefolium inhabits a wide range of environments, from dry to moist and low to high, from sea level to the Alpine zone of the major mountain ranges; one of the most common wildflowers of the West. Stems are thick and rigid, branching a few times towards the top, each branch topped with a flattish cluster of small white flowers, which have between 3 and 5 ray florets around a center of yellow disc florets (10 to 30). When mature, the petals become pinkish and the center turns brown, though the flowers of some plants are pink throughout the blooming phase. Stems become woody with age. The plant is an aromatic herb and has long been used for a variety of purposes, including as a medicine and insecticide.