| Achillea ageratum | |
|---|---|
 | |
LC [1] | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Asterales |
| Family: | Asteraceae |
| Genus: | Achillea |
| Species: | A. ageratum |
| Binomial name | |
| Achillea ageratum | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Achillea ageratum, also known as sweet yarrow, [2] sweet-Nancy, [3] English mace, [4] or sweet maudlin, [5] is a flowering plant in the sunflower family. It is native to southern Europe and Morocco. [6] In the United States the plant is cultivated in the state of New York for its pleasant fragrance and sparingly naturalized in a few places outside its native range. [1] [7]
Contents
In the Middle Ages it was used as a strewing herb to repel insects such as moths, lice and ticks and spread a good smell in private rooms. [8] The leaves can be chopped and used raw as a herb, or added with other herbs to soups and stews. [9] Modern uses of the herb include its use as a flavouring, as a dried flower, and as an ornamental herb. [4]
The species was first given a species name by Carl Linnaeus and published in his Species Plantarum 1753. [1] Achillea is a reference to the Greek hero Achilles, who was trained to use herbs by his mentor, the centaur Chiron. [4] The flowers last for a relatively long period, hence the inclusion of ageratum in the species name. [5]
The plant grows to a height of 12 to 18 inches (300 to 460 mm). A hardy perennial, it can be identified by its narrow and serrated leaves, and clusters of small flowers. [4]
