Whenever someone asks me what they should plant in their garden, my answer is inevitably yarrow.
Are you looking for a plant that is easy to grow in our harsh mountain climate? Do you want to grow flowers to attract pollinators? Are you looking for ground cover that is soft underfoot yet hardy when walked upon? Are you trying to restore your yard back into a native meadow? Do you live in an area of town that gets cold, hot, sunny, dry, wet, or windy? My friend, the answer is yarrow.
You probably have noticed yarrow all over Flagstaff – indeed, all over the country – especially now that it has started to bloom for the season. Native to many parts of the Northern hemisphere, it thrives in a wide variety of climates. I have personally happened upon it along Flagstaff’s shady hiking trails, Phoenix’s blazing sidewalks, Seattle’s sandy beaches, and New York City’s urban farms and parks. Whenever I encounter it unexpectedly, it is like being greeted by an old friend and instantly makes a strange place familiar. It is a survivor you can depend on – and if you are a gardener, you understand how valuable that is.
Yarrow is also extremely versatile and has many uses. If you water it, yarrow produces a beautiful medium height flower in summer that can be white, yellow, pink, and more. If you do not water it (after it has been established), it remains a low-growing fern-like ground cover that anchors the soil and spreads easily. My favorite variety is Colorado Mix, which includes a range of dreamy pastel colors – like apricot, blush, buttercream, and lilac. It is a beautiful low-maintenance addition to perennial gardens.
It also features well as a filler flower for bouquets. It lasts a long time in the vase fresh, and dries well for everlasting bouquets and wreaths throughout the winter.
As if yarrow did not already do enough for us, it also has several medicinal uses. The one I unfortunately use quite often when working out in the garden, is when I accidentally cut myself on something. If you pluck a leaf from a yarrow plant, chew it up a bit, and press it to your cut, it will stop the bleeding and help to speed its healing. Yarrow truly is always there for me in so many ways. Whenever I plant it, water it, or recommend it to someone, I feel like I am paying it back in some small way to thank it for everything it does for me.
I hope you choose to make yarrow a part of your life in some way this season. We feature many varieties of yarrow throughout the Arboretum’s gardens and propagate it in the greenhouses for sale to the public. I highly recommend you consider adding it to your home garden, whatever your particular needs or microclimate may be. And next time you encounter it out in the world, say hello from me!
Emily Dorsey is the Gardens Manager at The Arboretum at Flagstaff.
