Achillea millefolium

Achillea millefolium fruits with mm ruler on right.

Achillea millefolium rootball for plants grown in 4-inch container.

Achillea millefolium rootball and light pink rhizomes of a plant grown in a 4-inch container.

Achillea millefolium in 1-gallon containers for sale at a native plant nursery near Portland, OR.

Achillea millefolium with rootball for plant grown in a 4-inch container at the Berry Seed Bank research nursery located in Portland, Oregon.

Achillea millefolium rootball seedlings growing in 4-inch containers at a native plant nursery near Seattle, WA.

Achillea millefolium seedlings growing in 4-inch containers at a native plant nursery near Seattle, WA.

Achillea millefolium with flowering stems.

Achillea millefolium flowers.

Achillea millefolium - common yarrow

Achillea millefolium is a perennial plant species within the Asteraceae. It is widely distributed throughout the Pacific Northwest and throughout North America. This is one of the most widespread Pacific Northwest native plant species and is found in a vast range of ecosystems including woodlands, shrublands, disturbed areas, rocky slopes, roadsides, and pastures (OregonFlora 2022). Achillea millefolium is a valuable plant for native landscapes and restoration projects because of its ability to quickly grow in disturbed areas, its wide range of soil tolerance (can grow in moist soils except fir constantly saturated soils), its ability to compete with exotic weeds and invasive species, its long flowering time, and its value to numerous pollinators. Many of the commercially available plant are exotic to the Pacific Northwest. When selecting plants for use in restoration projects, care should be taken to purchase plants with genetics originating locally. It may also be used as a turf replacement in lawns (OregonFlora 2022)

Seed propagation

Fruits of this plant are single seeded achenes. Due to its prolonged flowering period, seeds can be collected for a large portion of the year including the summer and fall. When the fruiting stem of this plant turns dry and brown to grey, fruits are mature and should easily detach from the plant. Fruits are wind dispersed so collection at the time of fruit maturation will yield the highest number of fruits. Seed germination information for plants with genetics from the Pacific Northwest is lacking for this species, but populations originating from other areas are described as non-dormant and do not require seed pretreatments to germinate (Baskin and Baskin 2014 and references cited within).

Cutting propagation

Plants can be propagated by divisions. Cut the rhizome with a sharp knife and if possible, cut propagules that have root, stem, and shoot tissue.

Production

This plant is widely grown in native plant nurseries and in bigger commercial nurseries throughout North America and beyond. A number of cultivars and varieties are available in the market. They are sold in a variety of containers including plugs, tree tubes, 4-inch and 1-gallon containers. They can be grown in a variety of potting mixes. Plants can be easily and quickly grown but are sensitive to overwatering.

References

Baskin C, Baskin J. 2014. Seeds: ecology, biogeography, and evolution of dormancy and germination. 2nd ed. Elsevier Inc., San Diego, CA.

OregonFlora. 2022. OregonFlora database and website. Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR. Website: http://oregonflora.org [accessed March 2022].