Chinese yarrow
StarAchillea alpina
Synonyms: Ptarmica alpina
Western Herbalism Properties
Traditional Uses
In Chinese and other East Asian traditional medicine Achillea alpina (yang qi cao / shi cao) is used medicinally: the aromatic, bitter aerial parts are prepared as decoctions taken for digestive complaints, to relieve abdominal pain and "dampness," and applied for inflammatory swellings, sores and snakebite, and the plant is also used to stop bleeding and for rheumatic pains in Chinese, Korean and Siberian folk practice (Chinese medicinal plant literature; Korean folk materia medica).
Gallery
Botanical Description
Achillea alpina, the Chinese or Siberian yarrow, is a rhizomatous perennial herb of the daisy family (Asteraceae), native to northeastern Asia including Siberia, Mongolia, northern China, Korea, Japan and the Russian Far East, where it grows in grassland, meadows, forest margins and along streams. It produces erect, leafy, often unbranched stems 30 to 80 centimetres tall from a creeping rhizome. Unlike the finely dissected leaves of common yarrow, the leaves of this species are linear-lanceolate and merely sharply toothed or shallowly pinnately lobed (comb-like), sessile and crowded along the stem. The small flower heads are grouped into a flat-topped to somewhat domed corymb at the stem apex; each head has a few short white ray florets surrounding a cluster of whitish disc florets. The fruit is a small flattened achene without a pappus. The whole plant is aromatic and bitter.
Active Constituents
Isofraxidin and isofraxidin derivatives
CoumarinsConcentration: Characteristic coumarin constituents of the aerial parts (a novel isofraxidin derivative was described from this species)
Coumarin constituents with reported anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activity, characteristic of Achillea alpina and of chemotaxonomic significance within the genus.
Sesquiterpene lactones (guaianolide and seco-guaianolide types)
Sesquiterpene lactonesConcentration: Multiple guaianolide-type sesquiterpenoids isolated from the aerial parts
Bitter sesquiterpene lactones that account for much of the anti-inflammatory activity of Achillea species; certain germacranolide/guaianolide types from A. alpina were shown to reduce insulin resistance in cell models via inhibition of the NLRP3 inflammasome.
Lignans
LignansConcentration: Several lignans isolated from the aerial parts
Phenylpropanoid-derived constituents contributing antioxidant activity to the extract.
Flavonoids (luteolin and apigenin derivatives)
Flavonoid polyphenolsConcentration: Several flavonoids isolated from the aerial parts
Polyphenolic antioxidants with anti-inflammatory and free-radical-scavenging activity typical of the genus.
Caffeoylquinic acid (chlorogenic-acid type) and feruloylsucrose derivatives
Phenolic acids / phenolic estersConcentration: Minor phenolic constituents of the aerial parts
Antioxidant phenolic esters contributing to the extract's radical-scavenging capacity.
Essential oil monoterpenes (e.g. 1,8-cineole, camphor, borneol)
Volatile monoterpenesConcentration: Volatile fraction of the aerial parts; monoterpenes predominate
Aromatic volatiles typical of Achillea, contributing mild antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory activity to the essential oil.
Polyacetylenes
PolyacetylenesConcentration: Minor; a polyacetylene was isolated from the aerial parts
Characteristic Asteraceae constituents with reported antimicrobial and cytotoxic properties.
Preparation Methods
Infusion / decoction of aerial parts
Parts: aerial part, leaf, flowering top
In East Asian folk practice the dried aerial parts are infused or lightly decocted and taken for inflammatory complaints, digestive upset and, like other yarrows, to check bleeding. Being a bitter aromatic of the daisy family, it may cause allergic reactions in people sensitive to Asteraceae.
Poultice of fresh or dried herb
Parts: leaf, aerial part
Bruised fresh herb has been applied externally to wounds and minor bleeding, following the traditional yarrow use of the genus. Avoid in pregnancy owing to the bitter sesquiterpene and volatile constituents.
References
- Guo M, Wang L, Hou X, et al.. Chemical constituents from the aerial parts of Achillea alpina and their chemotaxonomic significance . Biochemical Systematics and Ecology (2022) [DOI]
- Saeidnia S, Gohari A, Mokhber-Dezfuli N, Kiuchi F. A review on phytochemistry and medicinal properties of the genus Achillea . DARU Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences (2011) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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