Achillea clypeolata

The Achillea clypeolata, a beautiful wild yarrow native to Turkey and the Balkans, is one of the parents of the excellent varieties  'Moonshine' and 'Little Moonshine' favoured by gardeners. This species is vigorous, undemanding to grow and decorative both by its finely cut light silver-grey foliage and its long flowering of bright yellow. Simple and undemanding, this plant has its place in rock gardens or sunny borders, alone or mixed with other ground cover plants. Its flowers are perfect in fresh or dried bouquets. 

The Achillea clypeolata belongs to the family Asteraceae. This perennial plant forms a dense carpet; it reaches about 50cm (20in) in height when flowering, its flower heads tower over a tuft of abundantly leafy stems. It spreads slowly over 60cm (24in) on the ground via short stolons. Its foliage, soft to the touch, remains evergreen in mild climates during winter. It consists of leaves 15-20cm (6-8in) long, finely cut and toothed, and covered with a fine silvery-grey down, becoming lighter in July-August. Flowering is early or late depending on the climate; it repeat flowers for about 2 months between June and September, depending on the area. The floral stems end in flattened flower heads of 5-8 cm (2-3 in) in diameter. These are initially cottony white and slightly rounded. They open into many small flowers in a warm yellow colour, becoming ochre to bronze over time, tightly packed together. 

All yarrows love draining soils and have excellent hardiness. The Achillea clypeolata, overlooked in favour of its horticultural descendants, is nevertheless a robust, bright and fascinating plant for filling poor and rocky soils. It can be placed in rock gardens and in the border of a bed if the soil is well-draining. Not invasive, water-saving, and ideal for dry slopes, this yarrow limits the proliferation of weeds and gives a natural look to the garden. It can be paired with other ground cover or cushion plants such as Geranium sanguineum, Erigeron karvinskianus, and Nepeta x faassenii. Many combinations are possible, with dwarf Teucrium, dwarf Artemisia lanata, lovely Centaurea bella, the Thyms (hirsutus, capitatus, lanigerus), or other yarrows with various colours (millefolium, coarctata, nobilis).