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White Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

from $8.99

Botanical name: Achillea millefolium • Bloom season: Summer to fall • Bloom color: White • Pollinator value: Nectar and pollen for small native bees and beneficial insects • Host plant: Painted lady

Flat white flower heads held over ferny, aromatic foliage from early summer until frost. Its landing-pad shape puts the nectar within reach of short-tongued native bees, hoverflies, and tiny wasps that most garden flowers shut out. It will grow in ground where almost nothing else will, and it is one of the plants most likely to still be flowering when you walk the garden in September.

Botanical name: Achillea millefolium • Bloom season: Summer to fall • Bloom color: White • Pollinator value: Nectar and pollen for small native bees and beneficial insects • Host plant: Painted lady

Flat white flower heads held over ferny, aromatic foliage from early summer until frost. Its landing-pad shape puts the nectar within reach of short-tongued native bees, hoverflies, and tiny wasps that most garden flowers shut out. It will grow in ground where almost nothing else will, and it is one of the plants most likely to still be flowering when you walk the garden in September.

Size:

Plant Characteristics

Botanical Name: Monarda fistulosa

Common Name: Wild Bergamot

Native: Native

Native Region: Eastern & Central N.A.; Western Great Plains (western edge)

Sun: Full Sun

Water: Moderate

Bloom Time: Summer

Bloom Color: Lavender, pink, or white

Pollinators: Bees; Butterflies; Hummingbirds; Moths

Host Plant: Hermit sphinx moth, Orange mint moth

Deer Resistant: Yes

Mature Size: W 2'-3' x H 2'-4'

Soil: Well-drained; tolerates lean soil

Pollinator Value: Supports specialist bees plus hummingbirds, butterflies and night-flying moths

Plant Type: Herbaceous perennial

USDA Zones: 3 to 9

Spread Habit: Spreads by rhizome

Available As: Live plant

Growing Notes

Full sun in well-drained ground; it tolerates lean soil and considerably more drought than the red bee balms, which makes it the better choice for an unirrigated Reno garden. Space about 2 feet apart for air circulation, which limits powdery mildew. Water moderately in the first season.

  • Water: Moderate

  • Sun: Full Sun

  • Soil: Well-drained; tolerates lean soil

  • Mature size: W 2'-3' x H 2'-4'

Maintenance

Thin a third of the stems in spring for air movement. Leave the stems standing over winter and cut back in late spring, keeping about a third for overwintering insects. It spreads by rhizome; divide every three or four years, keeping the outer growth and discarding the woody center. Mildew on the lower leaves late in the season is cosmetic and not worth treating.