Greetings, fellow sun-worshippers and well-drained earth enthusiasts. We are the Yarrow clan, a diverse group known botanically as *Achillea*. From our humble, feathery beginnings as a basal rosette of fragrant, fern-like leaves, we aspire to become towering platters of tiny, tightly-packed flowers, creating a landing pad for every pollinator in the county. To help us thrive in your US garden, here is our perspective on ideal living conditions.
First and foremost, we demand sun. Full, blazing, unfiltered sunlight for at least six to eight hours a day is not a preference; it is a requirement for our structural integrity. Without it, our stems become weak and flop over, begging for support we would never need if properly baked. Our second demand concerns our feet—the soil. We despise having wet roots. Plant us in soil that drains quickly after a rainstorm. Sandy, loamy, or even gravelly conditions are perfect. Rich, heavy, water-retentive clay is our nightmare, leading to root rot and a swift demise. If your garden soil is too fertile and moist, consider raising us up in a raised bed or on a slope.
You can start us from seed, but we establish much more reliably from nursery-grown plugs or divisions from an existing plant. When you plant us, dig a hole just as deep as our root ball but twice as wide, teasing out the roots gently. Water us deeply immediately after planting to settle the soil around our roots. For the first few weeks, keep the soil slightly moist to encourage our root systems to expand and anchor. Once established, we are remarkably drought-tolerant, thanks to our deep, fibrous roots and rhizomatous spreading habit. We slowly but steadily colonize an area by sending out underground runners, forming a dense mat that suppresses weeds.
We are low-maintenance plants. Once settled, we require very little supplemental water. In fact, overwatering is the quickest way to harm us. We do not need fertilizer; rich soil only makes us leggy and less floriferous. Our main request is for a simple haircut. After our first major bloom in early summer, use sharp shears to cut us back by about one-third to one-half. This deadheading encourages us to produce a fresh flush of foliage and a second, often showier, round of flowers in late summer or early fall. In late fall or early spring, you can cut our entire clump down to the ground to make way for new growth.
We are notoriously tough. We have few serious pest or disease problems, though occasionally powdery mildew can appear on our leaves if air circulation is poor or if we are stressed by drought. The best prevention is correct placement—full sun and good air flow. Our vigorous spreading nature is both a blessing and something to manage. If our clump becomes too large or dies out in the center after three to four years, it is a clear sign we need dividing. In early spring or fall, simply dig up the entire clump, use a sharp spade to chop it into smaller sections (each with roots and shoots), and replant or share the divisions. This reinvigorates us and controls our spread.
While our species form, *Achillea millefolium*, typically sports white or pale pink flowers, plant breeders have gifted you with a stunning array of cultivars in vibrant shades of red, yellow, coral, and gold. These cultivated varieties, like 'Moonshine' or 'Paprika', offer the same rugged durability but with a more controlled, clump-forming habit and dazzling color. They are excellent for creating striking garden combinations and for cutting and drying.
