Common Name: yarrow
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Zone: 5 to 8
Height: 1.00 to 2.50 feet
Spread: 1.00 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: June to September
Bloom Description: Soft pink with yellow stamens
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy
Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Dry Soil
Culture
Easily grown in average, dry to medium moisture, well-drained sandy loams in full sun. Plants do well in average to lean garden soils and tolerate poor soils as long as drainage is good. Avoid heavy clay soils and moist, rich, fertile soils. Plants tolerate hot, humid summers and drought. Plants are best sited in locations protected from strong winds. Deadhead spent flower heads to lateral buds to promote additional bloom. Cut plants back to basal leaves after flowering to tidy the planting and to encourage possible additional fall bloom. Divide clumps when they become overcrowded (every 3-4 years). Propagate by seed.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Achillea sibirica is an upright, tufted, perennial yarrow that is native to Siberia. It typically grows to 12-30" tall. Flowers (to 3/8" diameter) bloom in summer in dense corymbs (2-4" across) atop stems rising to 12-30" tall. Each small flower features dull white disk flowers which are surrounded by white rays. Pinnately dissected leaves (to 3" long) are sessile, deeply toothed and lanceolate.
Subsp. camtschatica (sometimes listed as camschatica or kamtschatica) is native to the Kamchatka Peninsula in far northeastern Russia between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean/Bering Sea. Bright green (almost glossy), narrow, saw-toothed, leathery, dark green, lance-shaped leaves (to 4" long) are both attractive and unusual for the Achillea genus. Flowers bloom June to September in large umbels atop stems rising to 30" tall.
The genus name Achillea refers to Achilles, hero of the Trojan Wars in Greek mythology, who used the plant medicinally to stop bleeding and to heal the wounds of his soldiers.
Specific epithet rerfers to Siberia which is part of its native range.
'Love Parade' is a cultivar that features soft pink flowers with pale yellow stamens.
Problems
Stem rot, powdery mildew and rust are occasional disease problems. Strong summer rain storms with high winds can damage exposed plantings. If stems flop or become matted, they can be cut back.
Uses
Yarrow grows well in sunny, hot and dry locations. Group or mass in beds, borders or cottage gardens.