Illustration
Yarrow
Achillea
Yarrow blooms from June through September.
Months here are Northern Hemisphere months; in the Southern Hemisphere, shift them by six months.
Growing Yarrow
Plant it in full sun. It prefers low water. It is hardy in USDA zones 3–9. Expect it to reach about 2.5 ft tall and 2 ft wide at maturity, in roughly 2 years (checked).
What was checked
Mature height and spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color and the trait tags were checked against named botanical sources for this plant, with what the sources could not settle written down; years to mature size rests on a recorded house rule where no publisher states one, and is marked so; its common name and alternate names have not been checked yet. Each fact above carries its own mark. The planting, spacing and size sections are derived from these checked facts by a fixed rule, not checked separately, and the plant type is the library's own classification.
When to plant Yarrow
Plant Yarrow in early spring as soon as the soil is workable, or in early fall at least six weeks before your first frost, so roots establish in cool weather. In zone 6, the middle of its hardy zones 3 to 9, spring means March to May and fall means August or September. Once settled, it blooms from June to September.
Month-by-month timing for your zone is on the planting calendar; if you garden near zone 6, the middle of this plant's hardy range, start with zone 6 in March. Derived from the plant's category, zones and bloom months plus typical zone frost dates, not checked separately.
How big does Yarrow get?
2.5 fttall5 ft 7 inan adult2 ftwideSee Yarrow in a garden plan: the planner shows it in 3D beside everything else you add, growing toward this size over the years.
How far apart to plant Yarrow
Derived from the mature spread above by a fixed rule, not checked separately: spacing is the spread, center to center.
Space Yarrow about 2 ft apart, center to center, so each plant has room to reach its full width.
Add Yarrow to a garden plan and the planner draws it at its full width, so you see the spacing before you buy.
Where these facts come from
Yarrow's height, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, years to mature size, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity were checked against 9 published sources on August 3, 2026. Each one is linked below with every fact it carried, which can include a fact this page still marks as not yet checked, because a source carrying a value is not the same as the value being held to the standard. Facts not in that list, and the planting, spacing and size sections, are not covered by these sources.
- Chicago Botanic Gardengenus level, measuredheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, years to mature size, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- Missouri Botanical Gardenheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, years to mature size, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- NC State Extensiongenus Achilleaheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, water, bloom months and color, trait tags, soil, diseases and pests
- NC State ExtensionAchillea millefoliumheight, spread, hardiness zones, sun, trait tags, soil, diseases, pests and toxicity
- RHSRoyal Horticultural Society, Achillea genus guide (genus level)height, sun, water, bloom months and color and trait tags
- Missouri Botanical Gardencultivar levelspread, bloom months and color and diseases
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Centerheight, sun and trait tags
- tnyards.utk.eduUniversity of Tennessee Extension, Achillea millefolium (species level)water and soil
- ASPCAAchillea millefoliumtoxicity
How the checking works, and what each standard covers, is on the verified plants page.
Comes in 11 varieties across 5 colors
Same genus, similar care - pick the color you are growing.
- Apricot Delight
- Cerise Queen
- Coronation Gold
- Moonshine
- Paprika
- Pomegranate
- Red Velvet
- Saucy Seduction
- Sunny Seduction
- Terracotta
- White
Compare every variety in the Yarrow group
Every figure is the variety's own page fact. Tap a name to open it.
| Variety | Color | Blooms | Hardiness | Sun | Size (H × W) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apricot Delight | Pink | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 24 in × 24 in |
| Cerise Queen | Pink | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 24 in × 24 in |
| Coronation Gold | Yellow | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 2 ft |
| Moonshine | Yellow | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 20 in × 20 in |
| Paprika | Red | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 20 in × 24 in |
| Pomegranate | Red | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 24 in × 24 in |
| Red Velvet | Red | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 24 in × 24 in |
| Saucy Seduction | Pink | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 24 in × 24 in |
| Sunny Seduction | Yellow | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 24 in × 24 in |
| Terracotta | Orange | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 2 ft |
| White | White | Jun–Aug | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 24 in × 24 in |
| Yarrowthis page | Yellow | Jun–Sep | Zones 3–9 | Full sun | 2.5 ft × 2 ft |
Good to know about Yarrow
Curated from university extensions, botanic gardens and other primary sources, with the source named on every note. A note reports what its source says; where that differs from a fact above, the fact above is this entry's stored value, and its mark says whether it has been checked.
Safety
The ASPCA lists yarrow as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Eating it causes vomiting, diarrhea, colic and drooling, an upset stomach rather than organ failure. per ASPCA
Worth knowing
Rich soil backfires here: it makes yarrow flop open and grow loose, while lean, dry, poor ground keeps the plant compact, better-flowering and longer-lived. per NC State
Hardiness varies by source
Sources split on hardiness. NC State and Illinois give zones 3 to 9; Clemson rates it 4 to 8, noting heat stress in zones 7b to 9. per NC State and Clemson
Feeds beneficial insects
The flat flower heads are a landing pad that feeds not just bees and butterflies but beneficial predators: lady beetles, lacewings, hoverflies and parasitoid wasps that eat garden pests. per Clemson
Deer and rabbit resistant
Deer and rabbits generally leave yarrow alone. The aromatic, alkaloid-rich, strongly scented foliage deters browsing, which is why it holds up in gardens where deer are a problem. per NC State
Spreads; divide every few years
Yarrow spreads by rhizomes and self-seeding and can naturalize into weedy clumps. Deadhead to limit seeding and divide the clump every two to three years to stay in bounds. per NC State
Handle with gloves
Yarrow can trigger allergic contact dermatitis. The culprits are sesquiterpene lactones in the foliage, so wear gloves when you cut or handle it to avoid a skin reaction. per NC State and Contact Dermatitis
What pairs well with Yarrow
Good companions share its growing conditions and add something it lacks: an earlier or later bloom, a lower carpet in front, or structure through winter.
Rock Cress
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter.
False Indigo
Shares full sun and low water; opens in late spring and overlaps into this one's season; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Sea Thrift
Shares full sun and low water; opens in mid spring and overlaps into this one's season; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; both offer pollinator forage.
Rosemary
Shares full sun and low water; blooms in early spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; evergreen, so the bed keeps its shape through winter; they only overlap in zones 8 to 9.
Wisteria
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months; purple against yellow, for contrast.
Flowering Crabapple
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both are strong pollinator plants, and they feed in different months.
Switchgrass
Shares full sun and low water; overlaps, then carries the display into mid fall; both are strong pollinator plants; its seed heads stand through winter, for structure and the birds.
Lilac
Shares full sun and low to moderate water; blooms in mid spring, before this one opens; both offer pollinator forage, in different months; taller at 10 ft, for the layer behind it.
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