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Is Achillea invasive? (Garden types)

Gardener EveGardener Eve Posts: 118
in Plants
Hello! I hope you’re all keeping well in this stressful time. 
i have 2 Achilleas- one millefolium ‘pomegranate’ and a soft yellow/ orange one (I’ve lost the tag for its name). One in a pot and one newly bought and planted on the open ground/ border only last year.

 I was planning  to take a few cuttings to fill a few new beds we’ve made but in my research to do this  have seen them mentioned as invasive a few times! Is this a bad idea? to have them in the open ground and try and add more of them? 

Thanks so much!
😀
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Posts

  • LoxleyLoxley Posts: 5,698
    There's a variety called Achillea ptarmica 'The Pearl' which is a rampant pest, but I think most of these modern named varieties are fairly well behaved.
    "What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbour". 
  • Gardener EveGardener Eve Posts: 118
    Ahh ok I just googled that and I dont have that one.. the ones I have are the umbellifor type (I think you’d describe them as) so sounds like it’s safe for me add more and in open ground! Thanks!! : )
  • berardeberarde Posts: 147
    I have some , can't remember the varieties, but they are not the ptarmica mentioned and mine don't spread. The heads are liked by insects and I find them trouble free. I give them some support as the sometimes flop over.

     I like the smell of them, my Dad had them in the garden so the smell takes me back there. I think the smell makes them taste unpleasant to the slugs.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    No - they aren't invasive. The ptarmica one wasn't invasive in my previous garden, but perhaps in lighter soil it is. 

    The named varieties are not like the species, which can be a bit of a nuisance.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,576
    The ptarmica one wasn't invasive here either (on light sandy soil). It never did particularly well, and died off after several years. The millefolium ones seem happy but aren't invasive.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    I'd be glad if I could get one to grow!
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • Jason-3Jason-3 Posts: 391
    I have an unknown type. But it is massively rampant on my amended clay soil. It's spread at least 10 feet and was strangling the life out of other border pants. I have dug most of it out but still keep rearing it's fibrous head. 
    I had a similar problem with verbana rigada
  • WilderbeastWilderbeast Posts: 1,415
    We have a pink headed millefolium of some respect and it's a beast it's currently taking on a large cardoon (cardoons are all large🤣)  in a corner of 1 bed. We started off with just 1 and in 1 season it grew to 1 ft wide, it was divided and the off spring were 1 ft wide in a year. It has also self seeded all over. We don't mind as we have 2 beds where many things won't grow so it's shoved in there to do it's it's thing. It's easy to get out though if it gets out of hand, easier to deal with than my 6 year 🤣🤣
  • herbaceousherbaceous Posts: 2,318
    The leaves of the common yarrow are excellent as a push for compost but I can't get the darned thing to grow in my garden. Do you suppose the garden varieties have the same properties?

    Sorry @Gardener Eve I just butted in there, I have suitably chastised myself!
    "The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it."  Sir Terry Pratchett
  • NollieNollie Posts: 7,529
    Achillea Ptarmiga Perry’s White (similar to The Pearl) is an invasive pest, planted some last year and regretted it. I have not found the Millefolium types invasive, trying to propagate more of Safran at the moment, it’s very well behaved. I believe there is a yellow Mille one that is a bit of a spreader...
    Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
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