Common Yarrow

How to grow Common Yarrow

Written by the GardenDecoded editorial team · Last reviewed 21 July 2026 · Written for UK gardens · How we research our guidance

Planting

Plant in spring or autumn in an open, sunny position. It runs at the root and will spread steadily in good soil, so give it room or plant it where a spreading clump is welcome. Rich soil produces soft growth that flops, so do not improve the ground before planting.

Pruning

Deadhead spent flowerheads through summer to keep flowering going. Cut the whole plant back to a basal rosette in late autumn or leave the seedheads standing over winter and tidy in early spring. Taller garden forms usually need support if grown in fertile soil.

Propagation

Divide clumps in spring or autumn every two to three years; this also keeps the plant vigorous. Basal cuttings taken in spring root readily. Seed of the wild species germinates easily but named garden forms will not come true.

Pests and diseases

Generally trouble-free. Powdery mildew can appear in a dry summer, and aphids sometimes gather on flowering stems.

Value to wildlife

The flat flowerheads are easy landing platforms and draw hoverflies, small solitary bees and beetles over a long season. Leaving the stems standing gives overwintering insects somewhere to shelter.

Notes

This is a tough meadow plant that does badly with kindness. Keep it lean, sunny and unfed, and divide it before the centre of the clump goes bare.

Some structured details on this page (such as tolerances, pH and hardiness) come from USDA PLANTS Database (public domain). The written guidance is GardenDecoded's own, researched as described in our editorial policy.

Other names for this plant

These names have all been used for Achillea millefolium but are no longer the accepted name. You may still meet them on old labels, in books, or in nursery catalogues.

Others in Achillea