Do you remember if it is a named variety? Some yarrows are notorious for having their color fade over time. 'Paprika', for example, starts out a bright rosy red and then fades to pink and then to a sort of creamy white.

Also, often when you buy plants, what you really get is multiple plants in one pot. Sometimes when you have that situation, the particular plant that is in bloom at first in a particular color then later on will get crowded out by more aggressive white-flowered cultivars.

Those are my best guesses.

We have a lot of native yarrow and most of it blooms white. Every now and then, there is one that is light pink....but it never seems to stay pink. It looks pink for a while, but then later on, on that same plant, the newer flowers are a creamy white. I dug up pink ones and moved them to my flower border and ended up with white-flowered ones anyway. It was confusing because I did not dig and move any of the white-flowered ones.

Some people believe the color change they see on their yarrows is caused by growing the plants in rich soil that tends to hold a lot of moisture, but I've never seen any research that verifies such a thing does occur.

hmmm. I'll have to watch it and see.

This one was white last year, I'm lovin' it.

I am glad to know about that. I used to get canker sores all the time. I occasionally get them when I get really stressed out so I will have to find some locally.

You can also make a salve with it. FYI It WILL mold unless you let it dry really well before you put in alcohol or oil.

The yarrow was probably 90% dry--I thought it was completely dry until I put it in the mortar to powder up. So far, it's okay.

I am a little concerned about the fresh basil leaves I'm tincturing. They weren't dry at all. So far it hasn't molded--but has a ways to go. :(

I have not used alcohol yet, but my first batch of oil last year molded. The second batch I let dry till it was limp.

Yarrow tincture is supposed to repel bugs, like a natural bug spray. But it takes 6 weeks to tincture, don't know if I am that patient.

Amy, do you use olive oil? We have a couple of patches of wild yarrow and I'd like to experiment with using it to repel bugs.

Amy and Sandplum, tinctures take so long. I wonder if you could get yarrow essential oil and use it as a bug repellent. It's not cheap though...like the free yarrow growing wild. BUT you wouldn't have to wait 6 weeks for the tincture.

Sandplum, I've only used alcohol and apple cider vinegar to make tinctures but I know of people who have used olive oil to make herbal oils.

My plan last year, was to make a yarrow salve, so the yarrow was..infused?...is that the correct term? In olive oil. I never got around to making the salve, and I don't know how long the oil keeps, so I may have to start over. I bought some grain alcohol to make tinctures with, so when I get my act together I plan on yarrow, lemon balm and spilanthes. We will see. I read this article about making tinctures this morning, maybe it will help, Hazel. Essential oils are so much more concentrated, I have no idea how you would decide the amount to use. No doubt you can buy a ready made tincture, I just bought lemon balm and feverfew, which are supposed to be good for migrains. But then I read feverfew can have "irreversible" side effects. So, crap, may have wasted my money on that one. https://oldwaysherbal.wordpress.com/2013/12/15/making-weight-to-volume-tinctures/

lol, That's how much I know about tinctures and herbal oils. I'll try it your way.

I don't know much about them either, Sandplum. :)