Yarrow: Profile of a Perennial Flower

The botanical name of this perennial flower refers to the Greek hero, Achilles, who is said to have used yarrow to heal wounds. Yarrows grow between one and three feet high, blooming from June until frost. Flowers are small and arranged in flat heads on top of stout stems. The foliage is finely cut and resembles a fern.

How to grow: Yarrows tolerate drought and are suitable for any garden soil that has good drainage. Plants perform best in full sun, though they will put up with a bit of shade.

Propagation: By division in spring or fall, also from seed.

Uses: Yarrow are excellent in garden borders and mass plantings. Fresh or dry, they make good cut flowers.

Related species: The wildflower Achillea millefolium is suited for the meadow or wild garden; the cultivar Achillea, Crimson Beauty, bears rose-red flowers on two-foot stems. Achillea filipendulina and its hybrids are sturdy plants with golden flowers that are particularly long-lasting, whether in the garden, freshly cut, or dried. Coronation Gold was developed to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II and has been a garden standard since 1953.

Scientific name: Achillea species

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