This week it’s:

Wild and garden achillea

ACHILLEAS, also known as yarrow and milfoil, are all perennial in nature, and pretty much fully hardy in the UK. Most spread by creeping underground rhizomes, and some (like the common yarrow found in lawns) are aggressive spreaders. But there are many achillea species and cultivars that make fine border plants, and often with grey or silver foliage, which adds to their appeal. Let’s take a closer look.

Achillea is in the daisy family (Asteraceae), but is unlike any of its relations! The flowerheads comprise small blooms, usually massed tightly together in dense, flat-topped clusters – often looking more like an umbel (think of cow parsley, dill or fennel).

Wild yarrow

COMMON yarrow () is a wild plant that may be found in grasslands, from meadows and grass verges, to garden lawns. Its clusters of white, flat-topped flowerheads appear from June to November. Each individual daisy-like flower comprises a number of yellowish disc florets (in the centre) and pinky-white (outer) ray florets. It is a tough, strong-smelling perennial, with dark-green, finely divided, feathery leaves. There are seemingly dozens of common names for it, created and used over the centuries (see next page).