Surely you’ve heard of many plants with interesting names, like maybe a lamb’s ear or Jack-in-the-pulpit, or even some odder ones. But there is one flower in particular that catches the ear of many – the sneezewort. That plant’s name may seem quite random, but its origin explains a lot about its flower.

“Wort” is an Old English term for “plant,” while the sneeze part of the name comes from the way that the flower was used. These plants were dried and then powdered in order to trigger sneezing, thus helping with congestion and the clearing one’s head.

The scientific name is also related to the plant’s common name. That name is Achillea Ptarmica, coming from a Greek word meaning “to sneeze.” Not only does this flower have these names, but also some other common ones like, sneezeweed, or sneezewort yarrow.

The appearance of sneezeworts is very ordinary. They grow in loose clusters and look like small white daisies. They have a button shape with roughly seven petals that gently droop and aim downward with a pale gray or yellowish toned center.

Sneezeworts benefit their environment in many ways as well. They provide nectar and food for pollinators like bees, butterflies and hoverflies. They are essential in areas with specific insects, by providing a food source and an easy landing pad. They also support damp habitats by building up diverse food sources.

Even though sneezeworts are beneficial, there are certain qualities they have that are not. They can be toxic for certain animals, and can create digestive problems for some people, too. Even though they are eaten, they are not a vegetable, but are more like spices or herbs. They can also spread aggressively in gardens, crowding out regular garden plants.

The habitat of these flowers is like many others. They live in moist and sunny areas with open, disturbed soil, such as wet meadows, stream banks, roadsides or even railroad beds. Full sunlight or even partial shade are a necessity for these plants, as well as rich, smooth soil. They grow throughout the northern half of America, though they are native to Europe and Western Asia.