Yarrow (Daun Seribu) is considered native to Eurasia and North America and is found primarily throughout the temperate and boreal zones of the Northern Hemisphere to a lesser extent in the Southern Hemisphere. The species has been widely distributed in North America, Central America, Asia, and Europe, and has also been introduced in Bhutan, China, Japan, Australasia, parts of Africa, and South America. Yarrow is one of the oldest known plants used by humans and is cultivated for its medicinal properties and as an ornamental plant. This species has a long history of herbal use and is included in the national pharmacopoeias of Germany, the Czech Republic, France, and Switzerland. In Brazil, it is on the list of 16 medicinal plants of Verde Saude (Green Health), a public health phytotherapy institution. Ancient Europeans called it Herba Militaris due to its role in healing wounds and stopping bleeding in battle. In the Unani system of medicine, its flowers are used as an abortifacient and emmenagogue. Besides being a medicinal and ornamental plant, this species can be used as an aromatic tea (from the flowers and leaves), a substitute for hops in brewing, a nectar source for many insects, an animal repellent (mosquitoes, beetles, ants, and flies), a source of yellow and green dyes, and is also listed as an ingredient in cosmetic products.

Yarrow can grow in areas at altitudes ranging from sea level up to mountainous regions (0 – 3,600 m a.s.l.) and is found growing in various habitats including grasslands, forests, riverbanks, fallow fields, grassy waste areas, path edges, yards, and hedges. It is also one of the understory species in boreal forests. This species can grow well in almost all soil types, temperatures, climates, and altitudes. It is found in dry or sandy soils, moist, clay, and saline soils, with low levels of nutrients and moisture. It generally grows in open areas but is tolerant of shade. The species is also tolerant of drought and frost (tolerating temperatures down to about -25 C), but is intolerant of flooding.

• Root: Taproot, light brown.

• Stem: Herbaceous (non-woody), erect, simple or branched, massive, round, green, densely lanate-tomentose (finely woolly-hairy) to glabrate (becoming hairless).

• Leaves: Alternate, sessile (clasping the stem), green, compound, clustered at the base of the stem with smaller leaves above. The venation is pinnate, the leaf structure is cleft (bercangap), highly divided, up to 3-pinnatifid, and the shape is lanceolate to linear.

• Flowers: Compound (inflorescence), small, stalked, aromatic, with five petals, colors varying from white to pink, magenta, and red. The outer ray florets in each capitulum are usually 5-lobed, female, ligulate with approximately 3-dentate. The inner disk florets are hermaphroditic, 5-lobed, with a compressed corolla tube. The pistils protrude outward. The inflorescence forms an umbel (payung).

• Fruit: A compressed achene, small, oblong or ovoid, without a pappus, and brown in color.

• Seeds: Round, flat, and black.

• Propagation is done generatively (by seed) and vegetatively (by shoot cuttings, tillers, or suckers).

• Seeds usually germinate within 1 – 3 months.

• It helps heal wounds, skin and mucous membrane inflammation, relieves itching, bruises, treats colds, fever, suppressed perspiration, digestive disorders (gastric ulcers/maag, flatulence, heartburn, colic, diarrhea), epilepsy, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, menstrual pain, kidney disorders, nervous disorders, stops bleeding in the lungs, kidneys, and nose (nosebleeds/mimisan), relieves rheumatism, toothache, headache, earache, lowers blood pressure, stimulates appetite, strengthens hair and prevents baldness, and is an abortifacient and emmenagogue. It possesses anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antimicrobial activities.

• Alkaloids (achilleine, achilletine, and moscatine), flavonoids (apigenin and luteolin-7-O-glucoside), glycosylflavones (especially swertisin, vicenin-2 and -3, schaftoside and isoschaftoside), 6-methoxylated or di- and tri-methylated flavonols (such as pectolinarigin, 3-methylbetuletol and 3,6,4'-methylquerccetagetin), polyynes, alkylamides, triterpenes, saponins, coumarins, tannins, essential oils (azulene, eucalyptol, camphor, alpha-terpineol, beta-pinene, α-pinene, 1,8-cineole, sabinene, myrcene, linalool, β-thujone, α-thujone, α-phellandrene, limonene, and borneol), aconitic acid, inulin, and asparagine.