Spring planting doesn’t start when the air feels warm, It...Read More
White Yarrow is a hardy perennial native to much of the United States. Yarrow of various colors can often be found in fields, along roads, meadows or on rocky hillsides. White Yarrow showcases bright green & feathery, fern-like foliage with sturdy, straight stems and flower clusters that are tiny, tightly-packed and pearly-white. It blooms from early summer throughout early fall. Yarrow is low maintenance, drought-tolerant, deer-resistant and tolerates dry, average soils. Adding yarrow to your landscape or garden not only enhances the habitat for beneficial pollinators, attracting honey bees and butterflies, but also wards off unwanted pests with anise-like scented foliage similar to marjoram. Add this beautiful variety to your butterfly waystations to help save the monarchs, but don’t forget to always include Common Milkweed as well.
NAME: Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)
VARIETY: White
HARDINESS ZONE: Zones 2 – 9
PLANT TYPE: Perennial
STRATIFICATION: Not required
DAYS TO MATURITY: 120 days
POLLINATION: Open Pollinated
SUNLIGHT: Full Sun / Partial Sun
SOIL: Average, dry soils with a soil pH 6.0 – 7.0
PLANT HEIGHT: 1 – 2 feet
SPACING: 8 – 16 inches
TEMP: 40 – 90 ° F
These seeds do not required stratification.
To learn more about Stratification, click here!
It is not recommended to start yarrow seeds indoors are they are extremely small in size and difficult to seed evenly when started in cell trays.
If you do decide to start your seed indoors, fill seed trays or pots with a well-draining seed starting mix.
Moisten the soil evenly before sowing the seeds.
Scatter the yarrow seeds lightly over the soil surface, pressing them gently into the soil but not covering them completely.
Place the trays or pots in a warm location with indirect sunlight.
Keep the soil consistently moist but not waterlogged.
Yarrow seeds typically germinate within 14-21 days when kept at temperatures around 65-70°F (18-21°C).
Direct sow your yarrow seeds as early as 1 week before your last local frost or shortly after.
For dense, lush, clumping plantings give them ample space; use a stake or your finger to draw circles that are 12 inches in diameter, spaced 16 inches apart in your soil bed.
In the center of each circle, sprinkle a small pinch of 10 to 20 seeds, but do not cover with soil.
Using your finger, lightly press the seeds into the soil surface so they do not blow away, careful not to bury them.
Water in your seeds lightly so you do not erode or wash away seeds outside of these circles.
Keep soil consistently moist and seeds should sprout in 10 to 15 days.
Keep the soil beds well weeded and water lightly until the yarrow has matured and flowered.
Prepare your bed by clearing out any weeds or large rocks and sticks in area that receives full sun.
Yarrow can tolerate dry, sandy, average soils but you will have best results if the soil is fairly well-draining and fertile.
It is important that you do not cover the seeds with soil when sowing, as yarrow needs light to germinate.
Deadhead (remove) flowers that have exhausted their bloom; this will promote new flower growth.
If flowers are left to go to seed, they will reseed proficiently, so be mindful of where you want the yarrow to spread.
Cut plants down to 3 inches after the first winter frost to encourage dormancy and healthy spring growth.
Plants may be divided in early spring and transplanted after their 2nd year of growth.
To harvest, cut the stem just above the leaf node; the stem, leaves and flowers can all be used.
Yarrow is most frequently used medicinally as a tea, tincture or dried.
Harvest yarrow flowers when they are in full bloom for fresh use in floral arrangements or drying for herbal preparations.
Use clean, sharp scissors or pruning shears to cut the flower stems just above the foliage.
To dry yarrow flowers, hang them upside down in small bunches in a warm, well-ventilated area out of direct sunlight.
Once fully dry, remove the dried flowers from the stems and store them in airtight containers in a cool, dark place until ready for use.
