Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a resilient perennial herb that’s as practical as it is beautiful. Known for its fern-like foliage and flat-topped flower clusters, yarrow adds soft texture and long-lasting blooms to gardens and meadows. Its cheerful flowers come in shades of white, yellow, pink, red, and apricot, depending on the variety.

Yarrow has a storied past in traditional medicine as a wound healer and digestive tonic, and it continues to serve modern gardens as a pollinator attractant, drought-tolerant groundcover, and companion plant. Easy to grow and tough as nails, yarrow thrives with little attention, making it ideal for busy gardeners, xeriscaping, and pollinator-focused designs.

Soil (pH) Requirements

Yarrow thrives in poor to average soil with excellent drainage. It prefers a slightly alkaline to neutral pH, ideally between 6.5 and 7.5, but tolerates a range of soil types.
Tips for Better Growth

• Avoid rich, high-nitrogen soil, which can cause leggy growth.
• Sandy or rocky soils are ideal.
• In heavier soils, consider raised beds or amend with gravel or sand for drainage.

Sun Requirements

Yarrow loves the sun and performs best in full sunlight, needing at least six hours of direct sun daily to bloom prolifically and remain compact.
Light Considerations

• In cooler zones, place in the sunniest location possible.
• In hotter regions, yarrow can tolerate light afternoon shade but may grow taller and more open in habit.

Watering Requirements

Once established, yarrow is very drought-tolerant and prefers dry to moderately moist soil. It is sensitive to overwatering and won’t tolerate soggy conditions.
Watering Tips

• Water regularly only during the first growing season to establish roots.
• After that, water deeply but infrequently during dry spells.
• Avoid overhead watering to reduce the risk of mildew on leaves.

Best Plant Hardiness Zones

Yarrow is hardy and reliable in USDA Zones 3–9, returning each year with minimal fuss. In mild climates, it can even remain evergreen through Winter.
Seasonal Notes

• Deadhead spent flowers to encourage reblooming.
• Leave some flower heads for Winter interest or to allow self-seeding in naturalized areas.
• Divide clumps every few years to maintain vigor.

Yarrow’s Popularity and Pollinator Power

Yarrow is a multifunctional favorite in gardens for its:

• Long blooming season (early Summer through Fall)
• Color diversity in modern cultivars
• Low water needs once established
• Deer resistance and tolerance of poor soils
• Excellent cut and dried flowers

But its greatest strength lies in its appeal to pollinators and beneficial insects.

Pollinators Attracted

• Bees, especially native solitary bees and honeybees, love the flat, accessible blooms.
• Butterflies, including painted ladies and skippers, frequently visit yarrow for nectar.
• Hoverflies and parasitic wasps use yarrow as a nectar source and help control garden pests.
• Ladybugs and lacewings often shelter in the feathery foliage.

Yarrow also makes a great addition to sunflower gardens—while sunflowers mainly attract bees, butterflies, and hoverflies, yarrow overlaps in appeal and extends nectar access closer to the ground for smaller pollinators.

Five Popular Yarrow Varieties and Their Unique Uses

Moonshine Yarrow

This elegant variety boasts silvery-green foliage and bright lemon-yellow blooms on upright stems. It’s a popular cultivar in formal and drought-tolerant gardens due to its tidy habit and vibrant color.

Best Uses

• Mediterranean-style landscapes
• Herb borders and pathways
• Long-lasting cut and dried flower arrangements

Pollinator Appeal: Its long-lasting blooms are beacon-like for honeybees, and it’s often surrounded by hoverflies in midsummer.

Zones: 3–9

Paprika Yarrow

Paprika is a bold beauty with scarlet-red flowers fading to coral and cream over time. It’s one of the most colorful yarrows and perfect for hot-toned garden palettes.

Best Uses

• Mass planting for bold impact
• Pollinator meadows or wildflower borders
• Butterfly gardens

Pollinator Appeal: Butterflies love its bright hue, and native bees flock to its open flower clusters for pollen.

Zones: 3–8

Strawberry Seduction Yarrow

Part of the Seduction Series, this cultivar features deep red flowers with golden centers and a compact, upright habit. It combines showy blooms with good mildew resistance.

Best Uses

• Mixed perennial borders
• Front-of-border planting
• Color-coordinated pollinator beds

Pollinator Appeal: This is a go-to variety for attracting small native bees and hoverflies, which linger around its bright, flat blooms.

Zones: 4–9

Cerise Queen Yarrow

This heirloom variety has vivid pink blooms with occasional creamy highlights and spreads readily to form dense clumps. It’s one of the best choices for naturalizing in cottage or meadow gardens.

Best Uses

• Wildflower gardens and meadows
• Edible flower plantings (flowers are mildly aromatic and edible)
• Naturalized slopes or low-maintenance beds

Pollinator Appeal: The broad flower heads are frequently visited by butterflies, beetles, and hoverflies alike.

Zones: 3–9

New Vintage White Yarrow

A clean, crisp choice with pure white flower clusters and a compact habit, this yarrow works beautifully in modern or monochromatic garden designs.

Best Uses

• White or moon gardens
• Dried-flower crafts and floral crowns
• Pairing with bold-colored perennials for contrast

Pollinator Appeal: Though less showy in color, it’s just as nectar-rich—bees and wasps love the easy access, and it blends beautifully into multi-layered pollinator plantings.

Zones: 4–9