An elegant textural airy element to use in your late spring arrangements. This seed blend includes a myriad of pastel shades as well as white. While yarrow is in bloom, you will be surrounded by visiting butterflies, and post-bloom the loveliest mourning doves will step in to eat the developed seed. Chickadees, titmice, and nuthatches will in turn utilize the soft lacy fronds to line their nests.
Outside of floristry, yarrow is used by herbalists for treating anti-inflammatory conditions, as a hemostatic agent to stop bleeding, to stimulate digestion, to calm and sedate, and as a protective antioxidant.
Easy to grow from seed, yarrow will stick around as a perennial in Zones 2 through 9 if you feel like leaving it in place. (Otherwise, dig up in fall and turn over soil for something new next year!)
BASIC FEATURES
Bloom Season: Spring, Early Summer, and then reblooms in Fall
Days to Flowering: 120 - 130 days initially, then perennial for Zone 2 - 9
Photoperiod Classification: Long-Day (For optimal blooming, yarrow needs between 12 and 16 hours of daylight per day, while appreciating shorter periods of daylight during its vegetative phase.)
Pinch: Not necessary.
Deadhead: Yes, to encourage rebloom and delay seed development
Staking: Not necessary, but may get top heavy after heavy rain without support
Height at Maturity: 28 - 30"
Recommended Spacing: 12"
STARTING SEEDS INDOORS
When to Sow: January - February and/or July - August
When to Harden Off: About 8 weeks after germination
When to Transplant to Garden: About 9 to 10 weeks after germination
STARTING SEEDS OUTDOORS
When to Direct Sow Seeds in Garden: May - June, or September
FOR FLOWER ARRANGING
For maximum vase life (7 - 12 days): Only pick stems in the morning, and only if pollen is visible on the flowers. Cut those stems at a 45-degree angle for maximum water uptake, and place them directly into fresh, lukewarm water with flower food, in a cool, draft-free area, out of direct sunlight. Trim away any wilted or browning leaves that develop, which can draw away moisture from the blossoms.
ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS TO YOUR GARDEN
Attracts and Supports: damsel bugs, lacewings, lady beetles, and parasitic wasps
Ignored by: Rabbits, and deer (unless other vegetation for deer is scarce)