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Project Noah Nature School
Achillea millefolium
Yarrow planted in the garden. Birds often choose yarrow in their nests, as it acts as a natural insecticide keeping out mites and other insects that may cause harm to the young hatchlings.
Semi-shade/rock garden habitat.
Spotted on Jun 19, 2012
Submitted on Jun 19, 2012
4 Comments
Thanks Cindy. I try to keep everything very organic around here. in the vegetable garden I plant many many many variety of insecticide type plants, including marigolds, citronella, and yarrow. While the pollinators have no issues with these plants, most of the other insects do, and those that end up making it through the natural plant barriers soon fall victim to the mantis and lady beetles that get transplanted to the gardens. ;-)
Again, great information! I may just go get some for our garden. Organic all the way!
:-) Thank you Cindy. Starlings and other birds have a tendency to line their nests with the leaves of the yarrow plants. (while it acts as a natural insecticide it's not recommended that humans use it for this purpose as it can in some cases cause photo-sensitivity leading to rash and blisters). It works great when mixed in flower beds though to keep out pesky insects that may eat your flowers and plants.
Great photo and info. I didn't know about the natural insecticide.