Tanacetum parthenium Baya seeds - Feverfew

Tanacetum parthenium Baya is a selection of Feverfew or Matricaria that is well suited to cut flower production. It bears very double white flowers reminiscent of daisies, carried on long, well-branched stems. Fragrance-free, very floriferous in summer, and easy to grow in full sun, this plant can be used along the edge of an ornamental vegetable garden, to punctuate a summer border, or in homemade bouquets.

Coated seeds are seeds covered with a thin layer that increases their size: they are easier to handle and allow for more precise, even sowing.

A member of the Asteraceae family, double Feverfew Baya® is a cultivar derived from Tanacetum parthenium (syn. Chrysanthemum parthenium, Matricaria parthenium, sometimes Pyrethrum parthenium). This Eurasian species is native from the Balkans and Anatolia to the western Himalayas, and has become widely naturalised in temperate climates.
Baya® is a Dutch selection bred for cut flower production, developed through a varietal improvement programme; it differs from the species type by its very double, hemispherical, fragrance-free flower heads, regular branching, and long, uniform stems, optimized for cutting.
A short-lived perennial, often grown as an annual or biennial, Baya® forms a bushy clump made up of upright, naturally very branched stems; it grows quickly, with flowering possible 12 weeks after sowing. In open ground, the plant reaches 60 to 80 cm in height; in pots of 20–25 cm and larger, between 40 and 60 cm. The deciduous foliage, bright green and aromatic when crushed, is cut and slightly downy; the sturdy stems carry numerous clusters known as corymbs. This variety may self-seed where it is happy. The inflorescence is a very double, pure white flower head, 2 to 2.5 cm across, almost concealing the central disc. Flowering extends from June to September.

Double Feverfew Baya® creates a neat-looking white framework in summer plantings: plant it at the base of bush roses or light, airy shrubs. Place it in small groups among perennial borders. An excellent cut flower, it is perfectly at home in a flower-filled kitchen garden. Among its best companions are yarrow, woodland sages, gaura, and scabious.

Our advice: stake it in windy sites, water regularly but without excess, and cut it back hard after each flush of bloom. For cutting, harvest the stems when most of the flower heads are open; vase life reaches 7 to 10 days with flower food.

The traditional use of Feverfew has long been recorded in ancient herbals. In gardens, matricaria is appreciated for its slender stems and its abundance of small flowers, used fresh or dried.