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Flower Full Sun Low water

Yarrow

Written by the GrowByCity Editorial Team · Updated April 2026
2 min read

Tough perennial with flat flower clusters. Hardy enough to withstand light frosts down to -25°C, yarrow performs best when daytime temperatures stay between 12°C and 24°C. Plant in a spot with full sun (6-8 hours of direct light daily) and provide minimal watering — it prefers dry conditions between drinks. Expect blooms in approximately 60-90 days. Adds colour and life to borders, beds, and containers from spring through autumn.

Harvest 60-90 days
Temp Range -25°C — 32°C
Frost Tolerant ❄

Quick Answer: How to Grow Yarrow

Yarrow takes 60-90 days to harvest. It grows best in 12–24°C with full sun and low watering. Yarrow is frost tolerant and can handle temperatures down to -25°C. It can be grown in 350 cities worldwide.

Find the best time to plant Yarrow in your city →

Growing Requirements

☀️
Sun
Full Sun
💧
Water
Low
❄️
Frost
Tolerant
📅
Harvest
60-90 days

Temperature Range

12-24°C
-10°C 45°C
Optimal: 12–24°C Tolerates: -25–32°C
Tropical suitable: No
Cities growing: 350 of 350

Growing Tips

💡

Expert Tips

Extremely drought-tolerant. Divide every 2-3 years. Can be planted 2-3 weeks before the last expected frost, giving it a head start on the growing season. Overwatering is the most common mistake. Let soil dry out between waterings and ensure drainage is excellent.

Quick Facts

  • Grows in 350 of 350 cities
  • Available in 7 regions worldwide
  • Temperature range: -25°C to 32°C
  • Optimal growing: 12°C to 24°C
  • Harvest in 60-90 days

Did You Know?

  • 🌱 Yarrow is frost-tolerant, meaning it can survive light frosts and even thrive in cooler temperatures.
  • 🌱 Yarrow needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily for optimal growth.
  • 🌱 Yarrow is drought-tolerant — perfect for gardeners who tend to forget watering!

Step-by-Step Growing Guide

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is one of the most adaptable perennials in cultivation. It thrives in lean, well-draining soil with a pH of 6.0–7.0 — rich, fertile soil actually reduces flowering and promotes floppy growth. Sandy or gravelly loam is ideal. Plant in full sun with spacing of 45–60 cm between plants. Sow seeds shallowly (barely cover) as they need light to germinate, or divide established clumps in spring or autumn. Water newly planted specimens regularly until established (6–8 weeks), then reduce to rainfall supplementation only — established yarrow is exceptionally drought-tolerant. Do not fertilise; excess nitrogen causes lush, floppy growth and fewer flowers. Deadhead spent flower clusters to prolong bloom from early summer into autumn. Divide clumps every 2–3 years in early spring when the centre begins to die out.

Common Pests & Problems

Powdery mildew (Erysiphe cichoracearum) coats leaves in white powder in humid, still conditions — choose resistant cultivars, space generously, and apply dilute potassium bicarbonate if severe. Botrytis grey mould affects stems and flowers in cool, wet springs; remove affected material and improve airflow. Spittlebugs (froghoppers) create white frothy masses on stems in early summer — they are rarely damaging enough to treat; wipe off by hand if unsightly. Stem rot (Rhizoctonia solani) occurs in heavy, waterlogged soil; improve drainage and avoid overwatering. Yarrow has very few serious pest problems due to its aromatic foliage — deer and rabbits avoid it.

Harvest & Storage

Harvest yarrow flowers for fresh arrangements when the flat-topped clusters (corymbs) are fully open but before individual tiny flowers begin to drop. Cut long stems in the cool of the morning with clean scissors. For drying — which yarrow does exceptionally well — cut when three-quarters of the flower heads are open, bundle in small groups of 5–7 stems, and hang upside down in a dark, warm, well-ventilated space for 2–3 weeks. Dried yarrow retains its colour well and lasts 1–2 years in arrangements. For medicinal use, harvest aerial parts in bloom and dry quickly at low heat to preserve volatile oils.

Popular Varieties

Achillea millefolium 'Paprika' is a vivid red cultivar that fades to salmon and cream as it ages, creating a multi-toned effect; exceptionally drought-tolerant and long-flowering. 'Coronation Gold' is a tall (90 cm) hybrid with large, bright mustard-yellow flower heads that dry to a rich gold — one of the best for cutting and drying. 'Moonshine' is a compact cultivar with silver-grey ferny foliage and clear lemon-yellow flowers; particularly good at front of borders and in dry gardens. 'Summer Pastels Mix' produces a range of pinks, creams, and soft reds in the first year from seed — useful for adding a wildflower meadow feel to garden borders.

Where to Grow Yarrow

Yarrow can be grown in 350 cities across 7 regions worldwide

🌍 Europe (80 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Aarhus, DK easy
Amsterdam, NL easy
Ankara, TR easy
Antalya, TR easy
Athens, GR easy
Barcelona, ES easy
Bari, IT easy
Belgrade, RS easy
Bergen, NO easy
Berlin, DE easy
Bilbao, ES easy
Bologna, IT easy
Bordeaux, FR easy
Bratislava, SK easy
Brussels, BE easy
Bucharest, RO easy
Budapest, HU easy
Catania, IT easy
Cologne, DE easy
Copenhagen, DK easy
Corfu, GR easy
Cork, IE easy
Dublin, IE easy
Dubrovnik, HR easy
Edinburgh, GB easy
Florence, IT easy
Frankfurt, DE easy
Gdansk, PL easy
Genoa, IT easy
Glasgow, GB easy
Gothenburg, SE easy
Hamburg, DE easy
Helsinki, FI easy
Heraklion, GR easy
Istanbul, TR easy
Izmir, TR easy
Krakow, PL easy
Kyiv, UA easy
Limassol, CY easy
Lisbon, PT easy
Ljubljana, SI easy
London, GB easy
Lyon, FR easy
Madrid, ES easy
Malaga, ES easy
Marseille, FR easy
Milan, IT easy
Munich, DE easy
Naples, IT easy
Nice, FR easy
Nicosia, CY easy
Oslo, NO easy
Palermo, IT easy
Paris, FR easy
Porto, PT easy
Poznan, PL easy
Prague, CZ easy
Reykjavik, IS easy
Riga, LV easy
Rome, IT easy
Seville, ES easy
Sofia, BG easy
Split, HR easy
Stockholm, SE easy
Strasbourg, FR easy
Stuttgart, DE easy
Tallinn, EE easy
Thessaloniki, GR easy
Tirana, AL easy
Toulouse, FR easy
Turin, IT easy
Turku, FI easy
Valencia, ES easy
Valletta, MT easy
Verona, IT easy
Vienna, AT easy
Vilnius, LT easy
Warsaw, PL easy
Zagreb, HR easy
Zurich, CH easy

🌏 Asia (79 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Ahmedabad, IN easy
Almaty, KZ easy
Bali, ID easy
Bandung, ID easy
Bangalore, IN easy
Bangkok, TH easy
Beijing, CN easy
Busan, KR easy
Cebu, PH easy
Chandigarh, IN easy
Chengdu, CN easy
Chennai, IN easy
Chiang Mai, TH easy
Chittagong, BD easy
Chongqing, CN easy
Coimbatore, IN easy
Colombo, LK easy
Da Nang, VN easy
Dalian, CN easy
Davao, PH easy
Delhi, IN easy
Dhaka, BD easy
Dharan, NP easy
Fukuoka, JP easy
Galle, LK easy
Guangzhou, CN easy
Hangzhou, CN easy
Hanoi, VN easy
Harbin, CN easy
Ho Chi Minh City, VN easy
Hong Kong, HK easy
Hyderabad, IN easy
Incheon, KR easy
Indore, IN easy
Islamabad, PK easy
Jaipur, IN easy
Jakarta, ID easy
Jeju, KR easy
Johor Bahru, MY easy
Karachi, PK easy
Kathmandu, NP easy
Kochi, IN easy
Kolkata, IN easy
Kuala Lumpur, MY easy
Kunming, CN easy
Kyoto, JP easy
Lahore, PK easy
Lucknow, IN easy
Manila, PH easy
Mumbai, IN easy
Nagoya, JP easy
Nanjing, CN easy
Nha Trang, VN easy
Okinawa, JP easy
Osaka, JP easy
Pattaya, TH easy
Penang, MY easy
Phnom Penh, KH easy
Pune, IN easy
Sapporo, JP easy
Seoul, KR easy
Shanghai, CN easy
Shenzhen, CN easy
Siem Reap, KH easy
Singapore, SG easy
Surabaya, ID easy
Surat, IN easy
Taipei, TW easy
Tashkent, UZ easy
Tbilisi, GE easy
Tokyo, JP easy
Ulaanbaatar, MN easy
Varanasi, IN easy
Vientiane, LA easy
Visakhapatnam, IN easy
Wuhan, CN easy
Xi'an, CN easy
Xiamen, CN easy
Yangon, MM easy

🌎 North America (78 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Albuquerque, US easy
Anchorage, US easy
Atlanta, US easy
Austin, US easy
Baltimore, US easy
Baton Rouge, US easy
Boise, US easy
Boston, US easy
Bridgetown, BB easy
Buffalo, US easy
Calgary, CA easy
Cancun, MX easy
Charleston, US easy
Charlotte, US easy
Chattanooga, US easy
Chicago, US easy
Denver, US easy
Des Moines, US easy
Detroit, US easy
Edmonton, CA easy
El Paso, US easy
Fargo, US easy
Fresno, US easy
Guadalajara, MX easy
Halifax, CA easy
Hartford, US easy
Havana, CU easy
Honolulu, US easy
Houston, US easy
Jacksonville, US easy
Kansas City, US easy
Kingston, JM easy
Knoxville, US easy
Las Vegas, US easy
Little Rock, US easy
Los Angeles, US easy
Louisville, US easy
Lubbock, US easy
Madison, US easy
Memphis, US easy
Mexico City, MX easy
Miami, US easy
Milwaukee, US easy
Minneapolis, US easy
Monterrey, MX easy
Montreal, CA easy
Nashville, US easy
New Orleans, US easy
New York, US easy
Oaxaca, MX easy
Oklahoma City, US easy
Omaha, US easy
Ottawa, CA easy
Panama City, PA easy
Phoenix, US easy
Pittsburgh, US easy
Portland, US easy
Puebla, MX easy
Quebec City, CA easy
Raleigh, US easy
Richmond, US easy
Sacramento, US easy
Salt Lake City, US easy
San Diego, US easy
San Francisco, US easy
San Jose, CR easy
Santo Domingo, DO easy
Saskatoon, CA easy
Savannah, US easy
Seattle, US easy
Spokane, US easy
St. Louis, US easy
Tampa, US easy
Toronto, CA easy
Tucson, US easy
Vancouver, CA easy
Victoria, CA easy
Winnipeg, CA easy

🌍 Africa (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abidjan, CI easy
Accra, GH easy
Addis Ababa, ET easy
Algiers, DZ easy
Antananarivo, MG easy
Arusha, TZ easy
Bamako, ML easy
Bloemfontein, ZA easy
Cairo, EG easy
Cape Town, ZA easy
Casablanca, MA easy
Dakar, SN easy
Dar es Salaam, TZ easy
Douala, CM easy
Durban, ZA easy
Entebbe, UG easy
Fez, MA easy
Freetown, SL easy
Harare, ZW easy
Johannesburg, ZA easy
Kampala, UG easy
Kigali, RW easy
Kinshasa, CD easy
Lagos, NG easy
Libreville, GA easy
Lilongwe, MW easy
Lome, TG easy
Luanda, AO easy
Lusaka, ZM easy
Maputo, MZ easy
Marrakech, MA easy
Mombasa, KE easy
Nairobi, KE easy
Ouagadougou, BF easy
Port Louis, MU easy
Pretoria, ZA easy
Tunis, TN easy
Windhoek, NA easy
Zanzibar, TZ easy

🌎 South America (39 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Arequipa, PE easy
Asuncion, PY easy
Barranquilla, CO easy
Belem, BR easy
Bogota, CO easy
Brasilia, BR easy
Buenos Aires, AR easy
Cali, CO easy
Campinas, BR easy
Caracas, VE easy
Cartagena, CO easy
Concepcion, CL easy
Cordoba, AR easy
Curitiba, BR easy
Cusco, PE easy
Fortaleza, BR easy
Georgetown, GY easy
Goiania, BR easy
Guayaquil, EC easy
La Paz, BO easy
Lima, PE easy
Manaus, BR easy
Medellin, CO easy
Mendoza, AR easy
Montevideo, UY easy
Paramaribo, SR easy
Port of Spain, TT easy
Porto Alegre, BR easy
Quito, EC easy
Recife, BR easy
Rio de Janeiro, BR easy
Rosario, AR easy
Salvador, BR easy
Santa Cruz, BO easy
Santiago, CL easy
Sao Paulo, BR easy
Sucre, BO easy
Trujillo, PE easy
Valparaiso, CL easy

🌊 Oceania (19 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Adelaide, AU easy
Alice Springs, AU easy
Auckland, NZ easy
Brisbane, AU easy
Cairns, AU easy
Canberra, AU easy
Christchurch, NZ easy
Darwin, AU easy
Dunedin, NZ easy
Gold Coast, AU easy
Hamilton, NZ easy
Hobart, AU easy
Melbourne, AU easy
Noumea, NC easy
Perth, AU easy
Suva, FJ easy
Sydney, AU easy
Townsville, AU easy
Wellington, NZ easy

🕌 Middle East (16 cities)

City Level JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Abu Dhabi, AE easy
Amman, JO easy
Baghdad, IQ easy
Beirut, LB easy
Doha, QA easy
Dubai, AE easy
Erbil, IQ easy
Jeddah, SA easy
Kuwait City, KW easy
Manama, BH easy
Muscat, OM easy
Riyadh, SA easy
Sana'a, YE easy
Tabriz, IR easy
Tehran, IR easy
Tel Aviv, IL easy

When should I plant yarrow in my city?

The best time to plant yarrow depends on your local climate zone. It thrives in temperatures between 12°C and 24°C. Since yarrow is frost tolerant, you can plant it before the last frost date. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact dates.

Can I grow yarrow in winter?

Yes, yarrow is frost tolerant and can handle temperatures down to -25°C. In many climates, it can be grown through winter with some protection.

Get Yarrow Seeds & Plants

Ready to start growing? Find Yarrow seeds and starter plants online.

People Also Search For

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Similar Growing Requirements

Frequently Asked Questions about Yarrow

When should I plant yarrow?

The best time to plant yarrow depends on your local climate. Yarrow grows best in temperatures between 12°C and 24°C (can tolerate -25°C to 32°C). Yarrow is frost tolerant, so it can be planted earlier in spring or later in fall. Check your city's planting calendar on GrowByCity for exact planting months.

Can yarrow grow in tropical climates?

Yarrow is not well-suited for tropical climates. It prefers cooler conditions with temperatures between 12°C and 24°C. In tropical areas, it may bolt, fail to fruit, or suffer from heat stress. Consider growing it in cooler seasons or at higher elevations.

How long does yarrow take to grow?

Yarrow typically takes 60-90 days from planting to harvest. It requires full sun and low watering. Extremely drought-tolerant. Divide every 2-3 years. Can be planted 2-3 weeks before the last expected frost, giving it a head start on the growing season. Overwatering is the most common mistake. Let soil dry out between waterings and ensure drainage is excellent.

Find the Best Time to Plant Yarrow

See the planting calendar for Yarrow in these popular cities:

Last updated: March 2026 · Climate data from NOAA, FAO, USDA

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