Yarrow 'Summer™ Pastels'
Achillea millefolium
Yarrow is one of my favorite flowers for floral design, herbal remedies, and the cottage garden. I can’t imagine a season without this romantic bloom and its clusters of tiny, delicate florets in pastel shades. It has enough structure for bridal and market bouquets, yet the stems are also easy to weave seamlessly into arrangements. It also has a long vase life. Gabriela Salazar once described yarrow as flowing flower mounds throughout a centerpiece, and I just love that!
This perennial flowers the first year from seed and can tolerate drought once established. Absolutely adored buy pollinators and attracts and supports beneficial insects such as damsel bugs, lacewings, lady beetles, and parasitic wasps (which prey on pests!). AAS Winner.
I often choose flowers not only for their aesthetic qualities, but also for their energetic properties. Yarrow is a “protective plant, providing psychic shielding from outside negative influences. It is good for sensitive people that can absorb other people’s energies and become depleted. Yarrow helps to strengthen one’s sense of self (Yarrow: The Wounded Healer’s Herb. A Plant Monograph. (Walcott)).”
For medicinal purposes, native white and pink varieties are thought to be most potent and are traditionally used. We distill yarrow hydrosol from wild yarrow on the farm and it creates this amazing blue essential oil. It would be interesting to see if the cultivated varieties produce it similarly.
Packet contains approximately 75 seeds.
DETAILS
Plant type: Perennial, Zones 2–9
Days to maturity: 120–130 days
Light preference: Full sun, tolerates part shade
Plant spacing: 9-12 inches
Plant height: 28–30 inches
Hybrid status: Open pollinated
SOWING
Depth: Surface sow (light required for germination)
Days to germination: 10–14 days at 65–72°F
How to Grow
Sow indoors 8–10 weeks before transplanting out. Cover lightly. Will tolerate a light frost. Surface sow as light is required for germination, but a fine dusting of vermiculite helps with moisture. Bottom water or mist. From Johnny's: 3–5 weeks at 55–65°F in full light are ideal conditions for seedling development. Pinching not necessary.
Harvest & Vase Life
Harvest when florets on a stem are at least 3/4 open and pollen is showing. If cult too early, stems will wilt. Considered a "dirty flower," yarrow will turn water murky and benefits from a slow-release chlorine tablet (or drop of bleach) in vase water.
Expected vase life: 7–10 days.
SHIPPING
FREE: $100 or more on any seeds
$3.95: 1–9 seed packets
$7.95: 10+ seed packets
