Common Name: yarrow
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Zone: 3 to 8
Height: 1.50 to 2.00 feet
Spread: 1.50 to 2.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to July
Bloom Description: Light yellow
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Flower: Showy, Good Cut, Good Dried
Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Dry Soil
Culture
Best grown in lean, dry to medium moisture, well-drained sandy loams in full sun. Does well in average garden soils and tolerates poor soils as long as drainage is good. Avoid heavy clays and moist, rich, fertile soils. 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 new foliage growth and a possible additional fall bloom. Divide clumps as needed (every 3-4 years) to reinvigorate plantings.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Achillea is a genus of about 85 species of mostly herbaceous perennial from the Northern Hemisphere. Several hybrids are available.
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.
ANTHEA (A. clypeolata x A. 'Moonshine') is an upright, clump-forming, compact hybrid yarrow which is noted for its deeply-dissected, fern-like, aromatic, silvery-gray foliage and its tiny, long-lasting, pale yellow flowers which appear in dense, flattened, compound corymbs (to 2-3" across) throughout the summer on stiff, erect stems typically rising 1-2' tall. ANTHEA is very similar to its A. 'Moonshine' parent, except it is more upright, has paler yellow flowers and has better resistance to foliar diseases. Introduction of Blooms of Bressingham (P.P. #8828).
Problems
Botrytis, stem rot, powdery mildew and rust are occasional disease problems. Taller plants may need staking, particularly if grown in less than full sun. Strong summer rain storms with high winds can flatten exposed plantings. Does poorly in wet sites or in heavy, poorly drained soil.
Uses
Specimen, group or mass. Borders. Cottage gardens, wild gardens, naturalized areas or meadows.