General information about Achillea (Yarrow):
Like vintage lace, Achillea, commonly called yarrow, when blossoming in your garden will take you back to your grandmother’s decorative doilies.
From mid-summer through autumn dessert-plate size flower clusters sit perched above feathery sage foliage ready to serve
butterflies
their sweet nectar.
Herbaceous
in nature, most yarrows reach heights of 2-4 feet and are delightfully durable tolerating
drought
and
poor soil
without fading.
We offer
golden
and
pink
varieties that will be perfect as a back-border,
in rock gardens or planted in mass creating the effect of a wildflower meadow.
In fact, because it is self-sowing and will spread indefinitely, some gardeners opt to use it as a lawn-substitute.
Yarrow can become slightly untidy as it spreads, so gardeners often place it in the background creating a wispy web of leaves covered in rich, substantial
blooms.
With a
moderate
to
fast
growth rate and willingness to tolerate
poor soil,
heat, humidity,
drought,
pollution,
rabbits
and
slopes
as well as moderate tolerance of
salt
and infrequent
foot traffic,
yarrow is one of the hardiest perennials available.
Yarrow is prized for her flower clusters that are perfect for dried arrangements or fresh in a vase. These lovely perennials lend an alluring sense of days gone by to any garden.
Note: the more sun Achillea gets, the lighter the bloom color will be. For example, in full sun in southern zones Oertel's Rose can be so light as to appear white.
Interesting Facts
Yarrow came to North America from the Caucasus region bordering Europe and Asia.
The word "Achillea" refers to the Greek hero, Achilles who used yarrow for himself and for his soldiers. The Greeks began using yarrow over 3,000 years ago for treating external wounds on the skin. Both the flowers and leaves of yarrow were eaten or made into a tincture-tea. Often people chewed the leaves to relieve pain of a tooth ache. The fresh leaves were used in a variety of medicinal applications including fevers, stopping bleeding, menstrual issues, circulation and even gastrointestinal concerns.
In culinary applications, the leaves of the yarrow can be used cooked or raw and are best
eaten
when young. Slightly bitter, they add a pungent punch to salads. They have a bitter flavor but are good in mixed salads and best used when they are young. The flowers are often used in teas.
Gardener Tips
If you enjoy organic gardening approaches, Yarrow is an ideal companion plant.
It attracts predatory wasps that use insect pests as food for their larvae. Similarly, it attracts ladybugs and hoverflies, also desirable garden bugs.
We love pairing
Autumn Joy Stonecrop,
Phlox,
and any of our
daylilies
with yarrow.
The result is a constant display of color from early spring through autumn.
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