Musk Yarrow

Achillea moschata

Also known as Achillée musquée, Iva, Alpine Musk Yarrow, Schafgarbe (musk form)

At a glance

Family

Asteraceae (daisy family)

Type

Cushion-forming alpine perennial herb

Parts used

Flowering tops and aromatic leaves

Size

Compact, usually 5 to 15 cm tall

Bloom

Mid to late summer, July through August

Habitat

High alpine rock screes, moraines, and stony pastures, typically above 1800 meters

Acquisition

Grow or buy

Traditional remedies in HerbSense

Key benefits

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Traditional digestive bitter

Aromatic after-meal tonic

Prized alpine tea herb

Compact rock garden beauty

Traditional uses

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High in the Alps, where little else dares to bloom, musk yarrow has long been gathered by shepherds and mountain villagers for its intensely fragrant, musky-scented foliage. Steeped into tea, it was traditionally taken after heavy meals to ease the stomach, and its bitter, aromatic character made it a favorite flavoring in alpine herbal liqueurs and digestifs across Switzerland, Austria, France, and Italy. Because it grows only at such demanding altitudes, it earned a certain reverence among those who climbed to find it, treated almost as a reward for the effort of the gathering itself.

How to grow & use it

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✦ Growing guide
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Pairs well with

✦Mint
✦Gentian root
✦Alpine wormwood (genepi)

Substitutes

✦Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
✦Gentian root

Choose it when

“For the hush of high mountain air and a cup that carries a little of the scree slope with it.”

Did you know?

The species name moschata means musky, and it is well earned. Crush a leaf between your fingers and it releases a warm, musk-like scent so distinctive that alpine herders once used it to help identify the plant among lookalikes on the scree slopes.

Safety

Musk yarrow is in the daisy family and can cause contact dermatitis in those sensitive to ragweed or chrysanthemums. Traditionally used as a uterine stimulant, it's not recommended during pregnancy, and its folk association with affecting bleeding suggests caution with blood-thinning medication.