How to grow Yarrow in Australia

Where to plant

Yarrow needs full sun and well-drained soil, preferably slightly gritty. It does not need fertile soil; rich, wet ground makes it floppy and weak stemmed. Once established it is drought tolerant, though it flowers better with some water in summer. It does best in temperate and cool climates.

It spreads by creeping roots and can self-seed. Some yarrows can be invasive, so check with your local council about weed risk if you live near bushland, and give it a spot where spreading is welcome or contain it.

• South East Queensland, the Northern Rivers, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Canberra: sow or plant from March to September.
• Hobart: sow in March and April or from September to November.
• North Queensland and Darwin: plant in the dry season, from May to September, as it prefers drier conditions.

How to plant

1. Start from a nursery plant, a division or seed.
2. If sowing, press the fine seed onto the surface of moist seed-raising mix, or cover it only very lightly, as it needs light to germinate. Seedlings appear in about two weeks.
3. Plant in full sun, about 30 to 50 cm apart.
4. Water in and keep lightly moist until established, then water only in long dry spells.

Watering and feeding

Water regularly while young plants establish. After that, water sparingly; yarrow copes with dry spells, and too much water makes the stems weak.

Do not feed. Lean soil gives sturdier plants and more flowers.

Pruning and care through the year

• Cut off spent flower heads to tidy the plant and encourage a second flush.
• Cut the clump back to the low leafy growth at the end of flowering.
• Divide clumps every three to five years in early spring to keep them vigorous, and pull out runners that stray too far.

Cutting flowers

Cut flower stems when the clusters are fully open and richly coloured. They make long-lasting cut flowers and dry well: hang bunches upside down somewhere dry and airy, then store dried heads in a sealed jar for up to a year.

Growing in pots

Yarrow grows well in a pot at least 20 to 30 cm wide with a free-draining potting mix, in full sun. A pot also keeps its spreading roots in check.

Using it

Yarrow is mainly grown as a beneficial insect plant and a cut or dried flower. Young leaves are sometimes used sparingly in salads or teas, but yarrow is a strong medicinal herb: check with a health professional before using it, especially if you are pregnant, and keep it away from pets that like to graze.

Propagation

Divide established clumps in early spring, replanting pieces with roots and shoots. Soft tip cuttings can be taken from spring to early summer. Yarrow can also be grown from seed sown on the surface.