n. & adj. — Newfoundland, Flora
the leaf of the yarrow plant, Achillea millefolium.
Type: 2. Preservation — The tendency to use common plant names for similar varieties has created some confusion surrounding the Newfoundland sense of tansy. At present, this term typically refers to Tanacetum vulgare in North America, the common tansy, but the meaning preserved from England (EDD, s.v. "tansy" sb.1 (4)) and traditionally used in Newfoundland refers to the yarrow plant, Achillea millefolium. The confusion is likely a result of their similar appearances (see the first 1987 quotation) and has a number of antecedents (e.g. the North American "robin" is not the same as the English "robin"). To differentiate the two types, tansy 'yarrow' has taken on other variants or nicknames such as "fern tansy", "wild tansy", and "deadman's daisy". Though it has historically been valued as a medicinal plant for home remedies (see, e.g. the 1916 quotation) and cooking (see, e.g., the 1972 quotation), its use has declined over the course of the 20th century (see the 1994 quotation).
See also DNE, s.v. "tansy" (1).