Common Name: Greek yarrow
Type: Herbaceous perennial
Family: Asteraceae
Native Range: Southeastern Europe
Zone: 3 to 8
Height: 0.50 to 0.75 feet
Spread: 0.75 to 1.00 feet
Bloom Time: May to June
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Full sun
Water: Dry to medium
Maintenance: Low
Suggested Use: Ground Cover, Naturalize
Flower: Showy
Leaf: Fragrant
Tolerate: Deer, Drought, Dry Soil
Culture
Best grown in lean, dry to medium, well-drained sandy loams in full sun. Does well in average garden soils and tolerates poor soils as long as drainage is good. Avoid heavy clays and moist, rich, fertile soils. Deadhead spent flower heads to lateral buds to promote additional bloom. Cut plants back after bloom to tidy the planting and to encourage possible additional summer-fall bloom. Divide clumps when they become overcrowded (every 3-4 years). Propagate by seed, cuttings or division.
Noteworthy Characteristics
Achillea ageratifolia, commonly known as Greek yarrow, is a mat-forming perennial that typically grows to 4-8” tall spreading to 12” wide or more. It is native to northern Greece and the Balkan region. It is best known for its bright white flowers (each 1/2 to 1” across) which bloom in unbranched corymbs from May to June atop mats of aromatic, silvery-green, often toothed, hairy, non-pinnate, linear to lanceolate leaves (each to 1 1/2” long). Leaves are evergreen in mild winter climates.
The genus name Achillea refers to Achilles, hero of the Trojan Wars in Greek mythology, who used the plant medicinally to stop bleeding and to heal the wounds of his soldiers.
Specific epithet means resembling the leaves of Ageratum.
Problems
Stem rot, powdery mildew and rust are occasional disease problems.
Uses
Edging, small area ground cover, rock gardens; planting pockets on stone walls; ground, between walking stones. Containers.