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My prairie guide book says yarrow is often found in prairies that have been disturbed. In other words, it isn't really a native prairie plant. In fact, I'm beginning to think that "weed" is a good word for it, the way it invades the lawn.
I have to admit it - I can't be proud of my prairie garden. It hardly even qualifies as a garden, so I call it the "prairie patch." It was already here when we moved into this place. It occupies part of a bank that seems to have been formed by contractors bulldozing a mass of clay and stones. It is almost impossible to plant anything in that dirt, and it is overrun with weeds and quasi-weeds. One of these is the common yarrow [Achillea millefolium].
I've tried to keep adding more authentic prairie plants, but mostly I have to keep ripping out the yarrow. According to my prairie guide1, common yarrow is Abundant and widespread in fields, pastures, disturbed sites, and along roadsides, as well as in prairies, especially prairies with a history of previous disturbance; found throughout the tallgrass region.
Yarrow is native to Eurasia as well as North America, and some of our populations are introduced weeds.
It certainly acts like a weed. Not only does it keep trying to take over the whole prairie patch [only the goldenrod has the strength to resist it], it sneaks out to infest the yard. In this, it employs two methods. Yarrow spreads vigorously from underground rhizomes, but it also spreads readily through seeds to locations further away from its original colony. Once established in the grass, it is difficult to dig out, though it is susceptible to several herbicides. Although it is normally a tall plant, it readily adapts to the use of the lawnmower by taking up a low profile and forming mats. One method of keeping it from spreading afar is to dead-head the flowers after they have bloomed to prevent the formation of seeds, but this will not stop the slow creep of the rhizomes.
Of course there are many wildflower lovers who will champion the yarrow. It makes a good tall cut flower and is willing to repeat bloom. It is quite attractive to bees and butterflies, often planted in butterfly gardens. Herbalists are fond of its styptic properties. The name "Achillea" supposedly comes from its use by Achilles to staunch the bleeding of his wounds. Some of its other names are Staunchweed, Sanguinary, Woundwort and Nosebleed Plant.
Yarrow is also known as Milfoil from its species name "millefolium," which means thousand-leaved. This refers to the cut, ferny appearance of its foliage. The flowers are a flat cluster with dozens of small disk flowers on several bracts. While the weedy sort are usually white, pink, red and other colors have been cultivated.
Yarrow is highly drought tolerant and prefers poor soils, which is undoubtedly why it thrives in my prairie patch. This trait aids in its invasion of disturbed prairieland as well as vacant lots. It does not care for damp soil and can suffer from mildew. This gives me hope for the lawn, as the part of the yard sloping down from the bank is not well-drained and likely to be inhospitable to the yarrow. It would do a lot better to stay in the prairie patch and leave the grass alone.
1 Ladd, Doug, and Oberle, Frank, Tallgrass Prairie Wildflowers, 2nd edition, (Morris Book Publishing LLC, 2005) pg 164.
About Lois Tilton
Retired from writing novels about vampires, I'm turning to parasitic plants and invasive weeds.
Posted by CaptMicha (from Brookeville, MD) on May 28, 2008 at 03:27 PM:
I only have one wild yarrow, a volunteer, that grows by our neighbor's dilapidated deer fence (along with all the other weeds that I can't remove b/c their roots are on their side but the foliage grows into ours! >:( ) and it stays put, never multiplies. I guess I'm lucky! These are all over in upstate NY.
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Posted by LTilton (from Glen Ellyn, IL) on May 28, 2008 at 04:41 PM:
Lucky indeed!
Do you know if it's the wild kind or a cultivated variety?
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Posted by CaptMicha (from Brookeville, MD) on May 29, 2008 at 12:45 AM:
It's the white wild kind. With typical pretty lacy foliage.
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Posted by wormfood (from Lecanto, FL) on June 09, 2008 at 12:57 PM:
I have the wild white coming to me in the mail, from Vermont. Can't wait, and if it gets invasive in my soil I'll be surprised. Powery sand, drought, hot enough to fry an egg and then a rainy season that kills drought tolerant plants.
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Posted by LTilton (from Glen Ellyn, IL) on June 09, 2008 at 01:06 PM:
Good luck with it!
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Subject: yarrow
Posted by ajaxmd (from Vienna, WV) on May 28, 2008 at 08:33 AM:
How exactly was it used to stop bleeding--were flowers or leaves applied to the bleeding site?
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Posted by LTilton (from Glen Ellyn, IL) on May 28, 2008 at 08:52 AM:
It was made into a tea and the liquid applied to the wound.
I believe there will be another article here later on yarrow's medicinal uses.
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Posted by leaflady (from Hughesville, MO) on May 28, 2008 at 09:39 AM:
I have a patch of wild yarrow but my soil is so wet and heavy(we call it black gumbo)that it doesn't spread well. Thankful for that. I would not hesitate to use a herbicide to kill it out or back considerably if it became a problem. I also have the cultivated red paprika and pink Queen Cireese(?)which seem to spread very well where they are planted.
This message was edited May 28, 2008 12:06 PM
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on May 28, 2008 at 10:55 AM:
OMG, yarrow!!!! My very sweet, very helpful DH thought we didn't have enough in the wildest part of our garden so he bought 5 or 6 more plants (I could have divided it into 5 - 6 more plants). Now the yarrow has taken over the columbine and has started in on the geraniums. Alas!
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Posted by dahlianut (from Calgary, AB) on May 28, 2008 at 02:09 PM:
Is there a non-invasive variety?
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Posted by LTilton (from Glen Ellyn, IL) on May 28, 2008 at 04:41 PM:
I don't really know if the cultivated varieties are less invasive.
The one time I foolishly planted one, it fortunately didn't come up.
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Posted by leaflady (from Hughesville, MO) on May 28, 2008 at 04:44 PM:
My cultivated ones are spreading much more in the place I planted them a couple years ago than they did in the old home. I don't know if it is all the rain we have had, the soil, or what. But I love them both and will just divide and give some away when I think they are too big for the bed they are in. The Red Paprika are coming into bloom now. Pinks will bloom in a week or so.
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on May 28, 2008 at 04:46 PM:
I have Paprika too and I don't find it to be invasive.
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Posted by dahlianut (from Calgary, AB) on May 28, 2008 at 05:33 PM:
Thanks. I will try Paprika
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on May 28, 2008 at 05:37 PM:
There's also mixed berries, which I thought I had, until I looked at the tag, LOL!
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Posted by dahlianut (from Calgary, AB) on May 28, 2008 at 05:46 PM:
I put in a cultivated 'Colorado' mix in part shade which is supposed to be not so invasive. I'm hoping its not plotting a takeover. It's a blush to pink colour so the Paprika will look nice mixed in with it. I guess I'll see what the roots are doing when I put in the Paprika.
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Posted by carrielamont (from Milton, MA) on May 28, 2008 at 05:49 PM:
It does plot . . .
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Posted by dahlianut (from Calgary, AB) on May 28, 2008 at 05:52 PM:
ok now I'm getting scared LOL
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Posted by Igrowinpa (from Beaver Falls, PA) on May 28, 2008 at 11:18 PM:
I picked a large pot of Achillea Athena at the local box store several years ago. This one is a real gem. The foilage is a pretty blue/gray and the flowers are a creamy light yellow. I never goes out of bounds and is almost always in bloom, from spring to frost. I do deadhead, and feed it once in a while.
My daughter had a variety that was several shades of pink. It was just an awful plant and tried to take over a whole back yard, even going over and under a cement walk! I received Cerise Queen in a trade and it turned out to be a thug too. I won't buy any yarrow with millefolium in the name.
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Posted by ajaxmd (from Vienna, WV) on May 29, 2008 at 10:04 AM:
I have to agree about Anthea--it's my favorite, and is very well behaved. I also have Paprika, and spend time controlling the spread by cutting off chunks, kind of like lamb's ears. Coronation Gold is more like Anthea. I watch anything with millefolium in the name like a hawk, but buy all the Anthea I can find....
I have to admit it - I can't be proud of my prairie garden. It hardly even qualifies as a garden, so I call it the "prairie patch." It was already here when we moved into this place. It occupies part of a bank that seems to have been formed by contractors bulldozing a mass of clay and stones. It is almost impossible to plant anything in that dirt, and it is overrun with weeds and quasi-weeds. One of these is the common yarrow [Achillea millefolium].
It certainly acts like a weed. Not only does it keep trying to take over the whole prairie patch [only the goldenrod has the strength to resist it], it sneaks out to infest the yard. In this, it employs two methods. Yarrow spreads vigorously from underground rhizomes, but it also spreads readily through seeds to locations further away from its original colony. Once established in the grass, it is difficult to dig out, though it is susceptible to several herbicides. Although it is normally a tall plant, it readily adapts to the use of the lawnmower by taking up a low profile and forming mats. One method of keeping it from spreading afar is to dead-head the flowers after they have bloomed to prevent the formation of seeds, but this will not stop the slow creep of the rhizomes.
