Common yarrow + cvs

Achillea millefolium

Description

Common yarrow — *Achillea millefolium ‘*Paprika*‘*

The Common yarrow is a clumping perennial that can grow 18-30 in. tall and quickly to 24 in. wide, then slowly spreading. Foliage is comprised of finely divided medium green leaves; white flowers occur in spring. It is a highly adaptable plant for mixed flower gardens, on banks, in bioswales, and around boulders in residential gardens and commercial landscapes.

Several cultivars of Common yarrow are available from nurseries and garden centers on a seasonal basis. Some of these include: A. m. ‘Cameo’ has salmon flowers; A. m. ‘Cerise Queen’ has deep magenta flowers; A. m. ‘Island Pink’ is native to offshore islands and has soft magenta-pink flowers; A. m. ‘Lavender Beauty’ has soft lavender and white flowers; and A. m. ‘Paprika’ has red flowers with yellow centers. The white flowering species is also grown as a substitute for turf grass where it can be maintained with as few as 6-8 mowings each year and with low amounts of water during summer.

Plant Type: Ground cover, Perennial, Native
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Spreading, Clumping
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color: Medium green, Gray green
Flower Color: Red
Flower Season: Spring
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil, Sand, Clay, Calcareous soil
Exposure Adaptations: Moderate shade, All day sun
Function: Fragrant foliage, Rock gardens, Residential spaces, Raised planters, Attracts butterflies, Grouped, Small spaces, Flowering accent plant, Container plant, Borders
Height: 18 in. – 30 in.
Width: 18 in. – 24 in. then slowly spreading

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.