In-between months reek of picking up after yourself and preparing for what's next, with a nap "in-between." In-between months have lots of odds and ends about them. September's odds and ends have always included the dying back of summer-blooming wildflowers, and the blossoming of autumn wildflowers. That always meant lots of goldenrods and asters and other stuff I was always too tired to care about by this time.
A lot of stuff gets unnoticed during in-between months. Even something like Yarrow (Achillea millefolium), which is ubiquitous in habitat and range as well as time. It seems to always be in bloom somewhere at sometime, including gardens. That probably has something to do with my overlooking it as well; I tend to ignore the obvious stuff.
This aromatic member of the Aster Family (Asteraceae) blooms from early spring well into autumn over much of North America (and Eurasia). It can be found in open areas from the lowest lowlands to mountain highlands. It has feathery, fern-like leaves and flat clusters of small white to pinkish flowers. (These profoundly and geometrically flat flower clusters always reminded me of the atmospheric islands floating across Yes album covers.)
Yarrow has also been ubiquitous historically and/or in folklore.
It was highly regarded on the field of battle, as the old common names Knight's Milfoil and Wound Wort remind us, being made into an ointment and applied to wounds. It was also made into a tea, which was believed to dispel melancholy.
Gerard claimed it was the plant Achilles used to staunch the bleeding wounds of his soldiers, hence the generic Achillea. Common names in the 16th century included Bloudworte, Sanguinary, and Carpenter-grasse, all implying its use and efficacy in healing wounds.
During the Civil War crushed Yarrow was applied to wounds, and known as Soldier's-Wort.
Native Americans used it relieve rashes and itching, heal wounds, and treat bruises, sprains, and swelling. The Zuni, those who "played" with fire, chewed the flowers and the roots, and then rubbed the masticated goo over themselves before passing hot coals over their bodies.
In old English folklore there was the superstition that if a boy put a
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