“Wildflower” of the month – January
Oh! Oh! I know this one! It’s yarrow, otherwise known as Achillea millefolium. I think I’ll stick to yarrow!
While we’ve certainly got a lot of swathes of yarrow leaves around in the paddocks since we had the grass cut once again I had to venture down the back to find these specimens for you. Aren’t you lucky!? We’ve even got some really pink yarrow flowers down there too, but the photo turned out rubbish and it’s too hot to go for another walk. So tough luck there.
It was fun over the winter to watch birds perching on the top of the dried up flower stalks and eating the yarrow seeds. At the time I was amazed by the fact that the yarrow stayed standing with a bird on it. Now, having had to pick up quite a few birds that the cats have dragged in I’m not so amazed by the yarrow, I’m just amazed at how little birds weigh!
Nice as yarrow flowers are, they can be a right spreading pain in the butt. Around the vege garden I keep having to pull out huge matted pads of the roots. They go for miles and miles. Blech. But at least they come out relatively easy.