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What is your view on Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

paul_in_surreypaul_in_surrey Posts: 239
in Plants
I try to grow a lot of plants that are good for pollinators amongst the veggies and fruit at my allotment. One of the seeds sold by Wilko as perfect for pollinators is Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). The seed packet says "ideal for borders and wildlife gardens".
However, a lot of websites (including Gardeners' World.com) refer to it as a weed, that will take over if you don't act.
I'm trying to decide whether to ditch the seedlings I've grown lest they take over my plot and become a nightmare for others.
Do any of you have experience or views on this plant? Is it only a problem if you're trying for a manicured lawn? I thought I would be able to control it by cutting down before seed sets, but it sounds like it travels underground like raspberries, though I am tempted to have a Harry Hill type fight between the Yarrow and the Horsetail.
“Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill

Posts

  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I've given up trying to grow yarrow - slugs' delight 
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • AlliumPurpleSensationAlliumPurpleSensation Posts: 270
    Mine are prolific and have a variety of colours. They will sprout up everywhere if you let them I just cut mine down to the size clump I want when they started growing about a month ago.


  • PurplerainPurplerain Posts: 1,053
    I have achillea Walther Funcke (I always check the spelling on that one). It's a beautiful deep orange plant that I grow with Verbena Bonariensis as a contrast. I haven't found it to be invasive and if it decides to be, then it has my blessing.
    SW Scotland
  • DampGardenManDampGardenMan Posts: 1,054
    We let yarrow grow in the "lawns" (areas that are more grass than other things :)) but pulled it out elsewhere when it offended us. It never really showed any signs of taking over, but of course it all depends on your soil etc.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Native yarrow can spread very quickly and, if mown, stays short and spreads before producing creamy white flowers.  I like it so tried growing selected varieties in my Belgian garden and even got a  lovely clump of a deep purpley one from a gardener atn Alnwick castle who said it get rampant if happy but, of course, they didn't like my garden.  Odd given how happy the wild one was along the roadside and in parts of our grass.

    Here I have sown cerise queen and summer berries to try and grow on this lighter, drier soil.   We'll see.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • Mary370Mary370 Posts: 2,003
    I grew the same last year ......beautiful mixed colours. ....no sign of a seedling yet.  I was hoping it would self seed 
  • ButtercupdaysButtercupdays Posts: 4,546
    I've given up trying to grow them where I want them. They don't like my clayey soil or my winters.
    But there is one self sown one that does well, but in the rockery/gravel bed and grows way taller than everything else!
  • a1154a1154 Posts: 1,108
    They do well for me, I have terracotta in one border, cloth of gold in a hot border, and several of the pink ones in a pinks and blues border. 
    The native white one I have in my rough grass area, looks lovely. I also have 2 big clumps in my garden. It has seeded, and I don’t mind it, it’s not difficult to control, though it does get into lawns. I suggest you give it a go Paul, take the flowers off before seeding if you are worried. The whites make nice cut flowers mixed with something colourful. I don’t see any raspberry like spreading. 
  • paul_in_surreypaul_in_surrey Posts: 239
    Thank you everyone. Well that's a relief, as you are all positive about growing it even if some haven't been too successful. I wonder why GW.com has such a downer on it.

    https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/solve-problems/yarrow/

    “Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.” Winston Churchill
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,090
    Well the RHS seems to like it.  Pages of info on it and its varieties - https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/Search-Results?query=achillea millefolium

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
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