A Plant of Many Uses

A white & pink yarrow cultivar.

Pollinators love yarrow's flat flowers.

A stunning cerise coloured cultivar.

Native yarrow spread provide food for pollinators & animals alike.

Yarrows thrive in hot, sunny, dry gardens.

Summer Berries yarrow is a lovely cultivar from Proven Winners.

A field full of colourful yarrow.

A wild species yarrow.

Pink annual candytuft and golden yarrow.

Common Name:  yarrow
Botanical Name:  Achillea millefolium
Form:    upright, vase
Family:  Asteraceae
Genus:  Achillea
Species:  millefolium
Plant Type: herbaceous perennial
Mature Size:  2’-3’ x 2’-3’
Growth: fast
Origin:  North America, Europe, Asia
Hardiness Zone: 3 to 9
Foliage:  fragrant, small & fern-like, green, alternate arrangement along stems
Flowers: June to October, flat-topped clusters of small whitish flowers, 3 to 8 ray and 10 to 40 disk flowers  
Seeds: small achene-like
Stems: one to several stems produced, green, herbaceous
Exposure:  full sun at least 6 to 8 hours/day
Soil:  prefers dry, sandy, well-drained loam, however it’s soil tolerant
Uses:  borders, ground covers, meadows, xeriscape (waterwise), butterflies, cottage, native, pollinators & herb gardens, containers, cut & dried flowers, natural dye
Attracts: butterflies, pollinators, birds
Invasive Tendencies: yes, especially native species
Tolerates: hot, dry, humid, poor soils
Propagation:   cuttings, seeds, root divisions
Pruning:  deadhead after flowering
​Problems: no insects or diseases
Comments:  
Yarrows, Achillea millefolium, are a hardy and versatile North American native with many uses in an out of the garden. They are known for their long flowering period throughout the summer into autumn. Unlike many other perennials in the garden, it thrives in heat and drought conditions.
 
Yarrows naturally perform well in nutrient poor soils and will happily grow anywhere as long as the drainage is good as they rot in moist soils. Due to their resistance to drought and their rhizomatous root system, they are suitable to areas prone to erosion such as dry, sandy slopes. Use yarrow in the garden as a companion plant to rosemary, sage, thyme, lavender, bee balm, coneflowers and ornamental grasses.
 
Despite their drought tolerance, yarrows still need water. Keep them well watered after planting to ensure they are established. New growth indicates the plants have taken.
 
Plant yarrows where they will receive at least 6 hours of direct sun per day. Those grown with poor light, tend to be taller with fewer flowers and are prone to flop over. To keep plants more compact cut stems back one third at the end of May. Flowers will be smaller but there will be many more of them. Once flowers fade, cut them off to encourage more blossoms.
 
Yarrows are herbaceous perennials, which means they are non-woody, and they will grow year after year forming larger clumps. Species yarrows become invasive overtime. They multiply with seeds and spread with rhizomes; however, the cultivated varieties are not so aggressive. Divide clumps every 3 years to keep plants fresh and control their spread. 
 
These flat-topped, tightly packed flower clusters provide the perfect landing pad for butterflies and other pollinators that covet the many composite flowers. Each individual tiny blossom is comprised of a disk surrounded by ray petals. Their soft green foliage resembles tiny ferns that grow along their stems. Native species flowers are a dull white however plant breeders have developed colourful cultivars and hybrids in shades of gold, pink, red, orange and yellow.
 
Yarrows go back a long way and have been used by indigenous peoples for generations. The entire plant is edible and nutritious in small amount. This aromatic herb is coveted for its healing properties to heal wounds, stop bleeding, as a laxative as well as many other ailments.
 
Yarrow flowers and their foliage contain an astringent that tastes bitter and sour, however it's used to flavour liquors and to make tea. In medieval times, it needed for beer before hops were discovered. Yarrow contains a natural dye that is used to colour wool yellow and green. 

Yarrows can become invasive.

Fern-leaf yarrow, A. filipendulina, is a different species of its smaller cousin.

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