Did you know that yarrow plants were used medicinally in the past to staunch wounds? In thinking about the various medicinal uses that ancient peoples discovered for plants, I can't help but ponder how different life must have been in those bygone ages. Today we pick apart computer applications, trying to figure out how they work. Back then, the same amount of energy must have been expended on learning everything possible about our botanical neighbors. For who knew what novel alchemist's treasure might lie within an herb's leaf, if heated just right at the full of the moon?

The genus name for yarrow plants is Achillea. For you Greek mythology buffs, that name probably sounds a lot like that of the great Greek warrior, Achilles. Indeed, the yarrow plant is the "herb of Achilles"....