A. Species
Scientific name: Achillea millefolium
Common name(s): Yarrow
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status:
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- Great Britain
Country/Region:
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: Individual Site
Name/Details of location: Midlothian
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2018
End Year: 2025
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from the wild but reared/cultivated in a managed site
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Gathering/Cutting/Collecting terrestrial plants and fungi or their products from the wild
Lethal or non-lethal: Lethal and Non-Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: The whole entire organism and Only parts or products of the organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Medicine and hygiene and Decorative and aesthetic
Motivation of use: Income generation from trade (individual/household/community)
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from the wild but reared/cultivated in a managed site
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: Business reports, sustainability certififcation
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: "Sustainable harvesting practices include harvesting no more than 25% of any single species, using an annual hay cut to manage weeds, and avoiding the use of pesticides or chemicals that could harm native plants and wildlife. The company also actively monitors the health of the meadow by carrying out annual surveys of its flora and fauna, as well as carrying out soil surveys. The products have been certified as wildlife friendly, which means their production has a positive impact on wildlife." "A proportion of profits (5% of turnover) from the sale of botanical products made a range of Seilich Meadow Products native wild plants are used to manage existing wildflower meadows and create new wildflower meadows. The meadow area has grown from half an acre to seven acres over six years."
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined
Details of assessment carried out: Business reports
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: The business model implies profitability, partly based on it's longevity and suggested low-level running costs, however this is not recorded in the write-up, nor on the Seilich website.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: No, sustainability not determined
Details of assessment carried out: Business reports, anecdotal evidence
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Wellness products imply a positive impact on human health, however results are unpublished
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: Buesiness reports, anecdotal evidence
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Increased wildflower populations supports native species, primarily local pollinators
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
Record source
Information about the record source: grey_lit and formal_data_stats
Date of publication/issue/production: 2025-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2025-07-07