Noble yarrow

Achillea nobilis, the noble yarrow, is a perennial herb in the family Asteraceae, native to dry meadows, steppe, rocky slopes and roadsides across central and southern Europe to the Caucasus and western Siberia. From a short rhizome it produces erect, somewhat downy stems 20-60 cm tall, clothed in finely two- to three-pinnate, grey-green aromatic leaves that are shorter and more compactly cut than those of common yarrow. In summer it bears dense, flat-topped corymbs 4-7 cm across made up of many small capitula, each with five short creamy-white ray florets surrounding a yellowish disc, the whole inflorescence releasing a strong herbaceous scent when bruised. The achenes are small, ribbed and lack a pappus. It is sometimes grown in rock gardens and dry borders, and locally is grazed by livestock.