Sheaf of gold – ingredients, effects and application

The golden sheaf belongs to the yarrow genus and comes from Western Asia. It is popular as an ornamental plant because of its yellow flowers. As a medicinal herb, it is used primarily in its regions of origin and is used in a similar way to the native yarrow.

Characteristics

• Scientific name: Achillea filipendulina
• Common names: Noble yarrow, yellow yarrow, tall yarrow, golden yarrow, fern-leaved yarrow
• Family: Asteraceae (Asteraceae)
• Distribution: Western Asia and the Caucasus, Turkey, Iran, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and Kyrgyzstan, introduced in countries such as Spain, Italy, Ukraine and Great Britain, in Central Europe garden plant
• Plant parts used: herb / leaves, flowers, usually the flowering herb is dried
• Ingredients: Essential oil with a wide variety of components; also flavonoids, tannins, caffeic acid derivatives and bitter substances (achillicin).
• Traditional areas of application: skin inflammation, eczema, cracked skin, wound healing, circulatory problems, venous insufficiency, varicose veins, menstrual problems, menopausal problems, abdominal pain, digestive problems

Sheaf of Gold – An Overview

• Golden yarrow is a type of yarrow and can probably be used in a similar way to the native yarrow, as is clear from traditional uses in its countries of origin. Golden yarrow has been studied much less scientifically and with modern methods than common yarrow.
• The botanical name Achillea comes from the Greek hero Achilles, who in myth healed his wounds with the plant. The origin of the term yarrow is controversial, but it is believed that it originates from the fact that sheep like to eat the plant.
• In Iran, golden sheaf is used to stop bleeding, balance menstruation, and treat sores on the skin.
• The leaves of the golden sheaf are edible. They taste somewhat bitter and aromatic and are suitable as a seasoning for herb quark, salads or dips. The older leaves taste more bitter than the young ones and are less suitable for food.
• Golden sheaf flowers intensely yellow and found its way into the ornamental gardens of Central Europe because of its beauty.
• Yarrow has been used as a medicinal plant in Eurasia, North Africa and North America for thousands of years.
• Golden sheaf is easy to care for, thrives even in poor soil and is suitable for farm gardens and rock gardens, beds and planters.

Sheaf of Gold – Ingredients

In a 2020 study, an Iranian-American scientific team systematically examined the essential oils present in the leaves, stems and flowers of the golden sheaf. It was found to be composed of a variety of components, with only five compounds occurring in all three parts of the plants.

The oil of the stems consists mainly of: neryl acetate, spathulenol, carvacrol, santolina alcohol and trans-caryophyllene oxide.

The main components in the leaf oil are: 1.8-cineole, camphor, ascaridol, trans-isoascaridol and piperitone oxide.

The main substances in flower oil are: ascaridol, trans-isoascaridol, 1,8-cineole, P-cymene and camphor.

Another study (2008) on gold sheaves from three sites in northwest Iran also analyzed the essential oil and found over 80 components. These include the following ingredients: borneol and bornyl acetate, pinocarvone and terpinen-4-ol.

The oil also contains the bitter substance achillicin (sesquiterpene) with anti-inflammatory properties. Other important ingredients of the plant genus Achillea include flavonoids, tannins and caffeic acid derivatives.

Golden yarrow is similar to common yarrow in its ingredients and effects and is a traditional medicinal plant. (Image: Eileen Kumpf/stock.adobe.com/own editing heilpraxis.de)

Medical effects

The name Garbe meant “healthy”. Yarrow is also popularly known as a stomach ache or hemostatic agent, which already indicates its effects. Dried yarrow herb was and is traditionally used, among other things:

• menstrual problems,
• Diarrhea,
• stomach ailments,
• Hemorrhoids,
• Circulatory disorders (varicose veins and venous insufficiency),
• Skin inflammations.

The healing effects of the related common yarrow have been scientifically examined and confirmed, but this is not the case with the golden yarrow. This is probably due to the greater distribution and frequency – and therefore notoriety – of the common yarrow.

The biochemical substances of both species overlap, as do their traditional medical uses. Therefore, it is very likely that the effects of common yarrow and golden yarrow are similar.

An Indian-American study (see above) has scientifically proven the effects of golden sheaf oil against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The study suggests that the best effects occur when oil extracts from all above-ground parts of the plant are used.

The anti-inflammatory effects of achillicin, as well as the astringent effect of tannins, which, among other things, support wound healing and can also help with mild diarrhea or hemorrhoids, are also scientifically proven.

Other ingredients, such as flavonoids, also have anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic effects. The substances it contains are also beneficial for circulatory disorders.

Sheaf of Gold – medicinal uses

The stems, leaves and flowers of the golden sheaf – i.e. the entire above-ground herb – serve as medicinal drugs. This is traditionally used for baths, brewed into tea or pressed as fresh juice.

The tea is drunk to stimulate the appetite and for gastrointestinal complaints such as bloating, flatulence or gastrointestinal cramps. In some countries, such as Iran and Turkmenistan, it is also drunk as a remedy for feverish illnesses.

To prevent bacterial infections of the skin, a compress soaked in golden sheaf tea is placed on the inflamed area. The pressed juice is also used externally to treat the skin, for example for skin inflammation, poorly healing wounds, eczema and other skin diseases (such as psoriasis).

To combat abdominal cramps in women, sitz baths with sheaf of gold are traditionally prepared.

The medicinal uses of yarrow (herb and flower) are recognized as a traditional herbal medicine for loss of appetite, dsyseptic complaints (digestive problems), abdominal cramps in women (pelvipathia vegetativa), and menstrual problems. In addition, effects against small wounds and inflammations of the skin and mucous membranes are recognized.

Goldgarben-Tee

To make golden sheaf tea, pour a cup of boiling hot water over two teaspoons of the dried herb and let the mixture steep for around ten minutes. Then strain the tea and drink it in small sips. For medicinal applications, around three cups are drunk per day.

Side effects

All yarrows are non-toxic and edible, and this applies to all parts of the plant. However, an allergy to composite plants can occur. This manifests itself when consumed and touched (contact allergy) by itchy skin and mucous membranes, rash and inflammation in the mouth, throat, stomach and intestines.

Usually only mild allergic reactions occur. However, severe allergic reactions can be life-threatening. If you have an allergy to yarrow, do not consume or touch it.

There are no studies available on the use of golden sheaf herb during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Due to a lack of knowledge, pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under 12 years of age are not advised to use it.

When is golden sheaf harvested?

The more sun the plant gets, the more essential oil is produced. Mid to late August is the ideal time to cut golden sheaf and then dry the inflorescences.

Occurrence and characteristics

Golden sheaf is a characteristic plant of the Asian steppes and is adapted to this continental climate. The plant does not mind strong heat or cold. It also survives harsh winters.

Its flower consists of numerous small golden yellow flowers and forms a so-called false umbel. Yarrows are valuable nectar donors during the flowering period (June to September) for bees, bumblebees and butterflies.

The golden sheaf is also called the high sheaf – its height exceeds that of the common yarrow by far. The plant can grow to over 120 centimeters high. The stems grow upright and form clumps.

Which location is suitable for golden sheaf?

In contrast to the common yarrow, whose wild form is also considered a “weed”, the golden yarrow found its way into European ornamental gardens because of its beauty.

The plant is easy to grow. It grows best in full sun. It tolerates heat and drought to a greater extent, but cannot tolerate waterlogging at all. The golden sheaf needs a permeable soil. This can be dry to fresh. It thrives in large containers on the balcony or terrace as well as outdoors.

In Central Europe, water-impermeable clay soils are regionally common. Here you have to add sand and gravel so that the golden sheaf feels comfortable. She has no problems with a stony substrate. If the soil is very stony, you can initially mix in some organic compost.

When planting, as with all steppe plants, you should ensure that the soil and roots are always slightly moist until the plant has taken root. If the roots are well anchored in the soil, the plants can get the liquid themselves and can also tolerate drought.

This means: Before planting, place the plant in a container with water for a few hours and take it out…