I-Ching Yarrow Sticks

[Khandro]

In building the hexagrams in I Ching, 50 yarrow sticks are used, these are made from a plant/flower/shrub (I don't know)
What exactly is Yarrow & does it grow here in the west please?

[TheChair]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achillea_millefolium

[Chipchopper]

Yarrow is a wild flower or weed, depending on if you want it or not.
It grows in grassland and waste places, about 1 to 2 foot tall.
dark green feathery leaves, which are very aromatic.
The flowers are white and flat topped and should start flowering about now.
You need to be able to distinguish from similar toxic species of the parcely family, like water dropwort, hemlock etc

[Khandro]

Thanks to both, I thought it must be something else, it looks like English cow-parsley & couldn't see how it would make a 'stick' but it says so right there.

[Chipchopper]

I remember, many years ago, someone asked me to collect some yarrow stems, something to do with Chinese fortune-telling, I was told.