Yarrow ‘Moonshine’
Achillea ‘Moonshine’
Characteristics
- Type: Perennial
- Zone: 3 – 8
- Height: 1 – 2 Feet
- Spread: 9 – 12 Inches
- Bloom Time: June – September
- Bloom Description: Bright Yellow
- Sun: Full Sun
- Water: Dry – Medium
- Maintenance: Medium
- Flower: Showy, Good Cut, Good Dried
- Leaf: Fragrant
- Tolerates: Deer, Drought, Dry Soil
Culture
Yarrow ‘Moonshine’ is best grown in lean, dry to medium moisture, well-drained sandy loams in full sun. Does well in average garden soils and tolerates poor soils as long as drainage is good. Avoid heavy clays and moist, rich, fertile soils. Yarrow ‘Moonshine’ plants are best sited in locations protected from strong winds. Deadhead spent flower heads to lateral buds to promote additional bloom. Cut plants back to basal leaves after flowering to tidy the planting and to encourage new foliage growth and a possible additional fall bloom. Divide clumps as needed (every 3-4 years) to reinvigorate plantings. Yarrow ‘Moonshine’ is susceptible to a number of foliar diseases and tends to melt out by mid to late summer in hot and humid southern climates.
Noteworthy Characteristics
‘Moonshine’ is an upright, clump-forming, compact hybrid yarrow which is noted for its deeply-dissected, fern-like, aromatic, silvery to gray-green foliage and its tiny, long-lasting, bright lemon-yellow flowers which appear in dense, flattened, clusters (to 2-3″ across) throughout the summer on stiff, erect stems typically rising 1-2′ tall. The leaf segments of this hybrid are larger and somewhat wider that the leaves of the common yarrow. This gives the foliage a fuller, denser look. The Yarrow ‘Moonshine’ leaves are silky and more soft-feeling due to the fine hairs covering them. This gives the plant a distinctive, velvety appearance compared to the more standard texture of A. millefolium.
Problems
Taller plants may need staking, particularly if grown in less than full sun. Strong summer rain storms with high winds can flatten exposed plantings. Does poorly in wet sites or in heavy, poorly drained soil. This cultivar is relatively pest-resistant and is generally not prone to serious diseases. Botrytis, stem rot, powdery mildew and rust are occasional disease problems.
Garden Uses
Specimen, group or mass. Borders. Cottage gardens, wild gardens, naturalized areas or meadows.