Tips for Achillea or Yarrow, All Heal, Bloodwort.
I have to admit I do not like the smell of Achillea but some of the new hybrid varieties are making me reconsider growing the plants. Achillea ‘The Beacon’ looks brilliant in large groups of 2′ high, swaying flowers.
Achillea Growing
- Growing conditions and variety influence eventual height from 18″ to 6′.
- These perennial plants get taller each year if not divided and replanted each Spring.
- The leaves are ferny, attractive grey green and sometimes silver or woolly white. The leaves give Achillea millefolium it’s name meaning thousand leaves.
- In the Iliad, Achilles’ soldiers used yarrow to treat wounds hence the common names “All Heal” and “Bloodwort”.
Flowering Conditions
- The flower heads are long lasting and attract hoverflies, bees and other beneficial insects.
- Most Achillea have flat flower heads in a range of shades with many yellow varieties.
- Achillea are hardy and drought tolerant, preferring free-draining soil in sun or light shade.
- Deadheading will result in more flowers with repeated flushes of flower.
- Most varieties gradually fade in colour after opening or pollination, giving a pleasing harmonious effect.
- To vary flowering time, usually June to September, practice the Chelsea Chop by cutting plants back by about 6in in late May.
Cultivation
- Cut off flowering stems at ground level in late September to allow the plants to bulk up and get through the winter more easily.
- Propagation is easy by dividing up and replanting rooted plantlets.
- Achillea millefolium and ptarmica varieties are stoloniferous spreading by underground stems.
- Plants can be raised from seed but varieties you covet seldom come true.
- Plants from commercial seed are often different heights.
- They are often bothered by greenfly or blackfly but few other pests.
This cultivar of the yarrow family Achillea ‘Fanal’ has bright red, flat flowerheads, with yellow eyes, and very fine, dissected foliage. It is a hard perennial growing about 2 foot tall and spreading by roots. Some think the foliage is sweetly aromatic but to me it is too pungent to be at all pleasant.
Hints on other Achillea to grow
- A. ageratum Sweet Nancy Moonwalker can flower in its first year from seed and may be used as a dry flower
- A. millefolium or a thousand leaves includes the wild yellow Yarrow and ‘Cassis or Cerise Queen’
- A filipendulina ‘Parker’s Variety’ grows 4 foot tall and has an AGM
- All Achillea are good for cutting
- I have lots of A ptarmica or sneezwort ‘The Pearl’ and they spread rapidly by roots and seed to the point where I think of them as weeds.
Alternative Medcine
‘Achillea is a valuable diaphoretic herb and is the central ingredient in any fever-management programme. It prevents the body temperature from rising too high but has a minimal suppressant effect on the course of the fever……’ According to Purple Sage Medicinal Herbs where you can read more.
2 thoughts on “Tips for Achillea or Yarrow, All Heal, Bloodwort.”
I really like achilleas. It is a valuable perennial plant that is easy to grow. I like the pics, very nice.
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