Achillea Credo

The Achillea 'Credo' is a perennial hybrid that forms an upright clump of finely campanulate evergreen grey-green leaves. In June-July, it produces wide flattened umbels of bright flowers that transition from sulphur yellow to cream yellow, remaining decorative long after the growing season. This plant is perfect for borders and accepts all well-drained soils, even dry and chalky ones, in a sunny location. Its rhizomatous habit also makes it attractive for creating alternative lawns. 

This variety results from a cross between Achillea filipendulina and Achillea millefolium. It has a rounded upright habit reaching 70 cm (28in) in height and 50 cm (20in) in width. The flower head is a slightly rounded corymb. The flowers are composed of small globular corymbs, creating an uneven appearance. The foliage, similar to the fern-like leaves of A. filipendulina, is semi-evergreen, downy, aromatic, and intensely divided into fine strips with a slightly greyish-green colour. Its flowers can be cut when fully coloured, and they hold up wonderfully in fresh or dried bouquets. 'Credo' yarrow inherited the rhizomatous tendency of common yarrow and spreads easily as a ground cover. A versatile perennial, it can be used in all borders and beds, especially in dry and sunny gardens. All yarrows have excellent hardiness. 

Achillea 'Credo' will blend well in a wild meadow with asters, salvias, and grasses like Stipa tenuissima. It pairs well in borders and beds with sun-coloured plants such as red crocosmias and the purple foliage of heucheras and 'Lilla' smoke bush, as well as in a pink-blue harmony found in salvias, campanulas, geraniums, ground-cover roses, and perennial delphiniums. In dry soil, it can be paired with echinaceas, catmints, Buenos Aires verbena, shrubby salvias, Gaura, Caryopteris, 'Valerie Finnis' wormwood, and tall thistles. Once established, it is highly drought-resistant, making it an excellent match for lavender, rock roses, and rosemary in rocky soil. Graphically, the horizontal aspect of its flower heads will contrast harmoniously with tall plants like Russian sages or the star-shaped flowers of daylilies.

According to Pliny, a Roman naturalist from the first century AD, the plant's name is derived from Achilles, a hero of Greek mythology, who used it to heal his wounds. The healing properties of this plant were discovered by Achilles during the Trojan War, when he was advised by Venus to treat his wound with it. In reality, the plant has medicinal properties such as hemostatic, which stops bleeding, the leaves have healing properties, and the flowers have a stimulating, tonic, and fever-reducing effect. The young shoots of this plant can also be used in omelettes or salads.