Yarrow, a long-naturalized plant from Europe and Asia, is one of the hardiest and most attractive long-blooming plants in the United States. It’s not unusual for the captivating umbels of blooms to continue springing up well into the autumn season.

Achillea millefolium – the latter latin word meaning “thousand-leaved” - forms dense, decorative colonies of fern-like leaves, generally 10-12 inches in height until the flower stalks emerge in late spring. Rhizomes help the plant spread and form mats that are great for edgings and backdrops. Give yarrow plenty of space, as it will spread quickly across an area several feet wide.

Yarrow also makes an incredible lawn substitute in areas that are lightly tread upon. The thick foliage supports and provides shelter for many creatures (critical beetles, lacewings, parasitic wasps, and many other creatures), making it vastly superior to grass for your areas environment. High mow before the bloom season.

As for our pollinators, at the heart of our attention, the umbels of flowers are beloved by parasitic wasps. It’s also a major attraction for miner and mason bees,  as well as sweat bees and pollinating beetles. Butterflies, curiously enough, are drawn to yarrow flower stalks more as a resting site than to feed, but in the process they will often accidentally participate in the pollinating process.

Yarrow offers another particular value towards sustaining life worth mentioning. Bird lovers can provide numerous cavity-nesting birds with this highly valued source of nesting foliage.

Two varieties are currently available: Cerise Queen and Colorado

Care:

Yarrow loves a dry to average moisture site. Soil richness that is mild to poor is also preferred by these

perennial herbs. They’re also most favorable to sandy soil, but will do quite well in soils that are clay-based (such as on the farm here). Richer soils tend to cause the yarrow flower stalks to grow too long and flop over.

Yarrow appreciates a lot of sunlight, but in hotter, more humid climates, partial shade and an early season cutting will help keep the stalks in sturdy and strong. In northern climates, this is unnecessary.

Cut back spent blooms to encourage a nearly endless flowering season, and divide every 2 to 3 years for optimum sustained blooming.