Yarrow

Yarrow is one of those plants that give a wildflower look to any garden. In fact, it is indeed a native plant and, predictably, it's easy to care for. In some gardens, it will thrive with almost no care, making it a good candidate for naturalistic plantings in open areas and along the edges of wooded or other wild places.

Its colorful, flat-top blooms rise above clusters of ferny foliage. The tough plants resist drought, are rarely eaten by deer and rabbits, and spread moderately quickly, making yarrow a good choice for massing in borders or as a groundcover. If deadheaded after its first flush of blooms fade, yarrow will rebloom. If left to dry on the plant, flower clusters of some types provide winter interest. Flowers of yarrow are excellent either in fresh or dried arrangements.

Light:

Sun

Zones:

3-10

Plant Type:

Perennial

Plant Height:

6-60 inches tall

Plant Width:

18-36 inches wide

Flower Color:

Red, yellow, gold, pink, or white flowers, depending on variety

Bloom Time:

Blooms spring, summer, and fall depending on variety

Landscape Uses:

Containers,Beds & Borders,Slopes,Groundcover

Special Features:

Flowers,Attractive Foliage,Winter Interest,Cut Flowers,Dried Flowers,Attracts Butterflies,Drought Tolerant,Deer Resistant,Easy to Grow

Top Varieties

---

'Appleblossom' yarrow

Achillea millefolium 'Appleblossom' is a fast-spreading plant with pale pink blooms and grayish-green feathery leaves. Zones 3-9
view >

'Apricot Delight' yarrow

Achillea millefolium 'Apricot Delight' bears reddish, apricot-color blooms that fade to lovely shades of peachy coral as they age. The long-blooming flowers form on compact plants. Zones 3-9
view >

'Cerise Queen' yarrow

Achillea millefolium 'Cerise Queen' produces pretty, magenta-pink blooms in late spring to early summer that hover over fernlike green foliage. Zones 3-9
view >

'Coronation Gold' yarrow

Achillea 'Coronation Gold' is a fern-leaf type with yellow flowers that are good for drying on 3-foot-tall stems. It forms mounds of ferny gray foliage. Zones 3-9.
view >

Fernleaf yarrow

Achillea filipendulina offers finely cut gray-green foliage and reaches 3-5 feet tall. It bears mustard-yellow flowers in mid- to late summer. Zones 3-9
view >

'Moonshine' yarrow

Achillea 'Moonshine' is an adaptable plant that bears pale yellow blooms on silvery-gray foliage. It forms spreading mounds to 2 feet tall. Zones 4-8
view >

'Paprika' yarrow

Achillea millefolium 'Paprika' blooms in brilliant scarlet red with a distinctive yellow eye. With age the flowers take on a pink hue. The plant blooms all summer if deadheaded. Zones 3-9
view >

'Pink Grapefruit' yarrow

Achillea millefolium 'Pink Grapefruit' is a compact, vigorous plant with large domed flowers that open deep pink and slowly change to creamy rose. Zones 3-9
view >

'Strawberry Seduction' yarrow

Achillea millefolium 'Strawberry Seduction' shows off velvety-red blooms with bright gold centers that fade to maize-yellow as they age. Zones 3-9
view >

Woolly yarrow

Achillea tomentosa 'Lemon' bears clear yellow flowers in early summer that appear over the 6-inch-tall foliage that's covered in soft, silvery hairs. Zones 4-8
view >

Garden Plans

---

Shared Property Line Bed
Walk to Front Door 2
Large Summer Sunny Border
Extra-Easy Sun-Loving Garden Plan
Fragrant Garden
Cottage Garden
Summer Cottage Garden Plan
Property Line Garden
Hot-Color, Hot-Weather Garden Plan
Sensational Summer Garden Plan
Large Summer Sunny Border
Fall Color Garden Plan
Late-Season Color Garden Plan
Burst of Summer Color Garden Plan
Heirloom Garden Plan
Hot-Color, Heat-Resistant Garden Plan
Colorful Slope Garden Plan
Side-Yard Cottage Garden Plan
Front Walk Garden Plan
Romantic Arbor Garden Plan
Tough-as-Nails Perennial Garden Plan

Plant It With

---

Daylily

The spiky leaves of daylily provide a dramatic contrast to the ferny foliage of yarrow. Both are tough plants for hot, sunny locations.

Penstemon

Like yarrow, penstemon performs best in well-drained soil in a sunny location. The long spires of tubular beard tongue flowers pair nicely with the mounded form of yarrow.

Salvia

The deep blue and purple blooms of perennial salvia look great with gold, yellow, pink or apricot-colored yarrows.

Propagation

---

Division
Stem Cuttings