Achillea filipendulina Parkers Variety

The Achillea filipendulina 'Parker's Variety' is an imposing yarrow, a large cousin of the common yarrow, with a long flowering period of bright golden yellow. Throughout the summer, braving the heat, its broad, slightly rounded inflorescences tower above a beautiful clump of leafy stems that are somewhat greyish-green. Vigorous and hardy, this water-efficient perennial plant is stunning in a wild garden and in fresh or dried flower arrangements. Provide it with well-drained, moist or even dry soil in summer and a very sunny exposure.

Achillea filipendulina, also known as Fernleaf Yarrow or Eupatorium Yarrow, is a perennial plant with rhizomes that belongs to the Aster family. It grows across Central and Southwest Asia, including Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Caucasus. This plant is also naturalised in Europe and North America, making it adaptable.

The 'Parker's Variety' cultivar can grow up to 1 to 1.20 metres (3 to 4 feet) in height when it flowers and can spread over 60 cm (24 in) and more. The flower head is a slightly rounded corymb, 10 cm (4 in) in diameter. It has a long and highly nectar-rich flowering period, which extends from June to October. The flowers are made up of small globular clusters called corymbs that are densely arranged, giving the flower a chunky appearance. These heads, which appear at the tops of very rigid stems, are a bright golden yellow. The flowers give rise to fruits called achenes. The stem of the plant has an angular shape, with channels running along it and covered in fine, soft hairs. The foliage is deciduous or sometimes semi-evergreen, rough and downy, aromatic, and intensely lobed into fine strips. The leaves are lobed, feathery, and have a somewhat greyish-green colour.

Yarrows are sun-loving plants that are extremely hardy. The 'Parker's Variety' yarrow is an excellent addition to any country-style flower bed, large rockery, or slope. It helps to prevent erosion and pairs well with other sun-loving perennials, as well as red or bright blue flowers found in crocosmias, campanulas, asters, groundcover roses, and perennial delphiniums. In dry soil, it can be paired with echinaceas, Buenos Aires verbenas, shrubby salvias, Gaura, Caryopteris, or even 'Valerie Finnis' wormwood and tall thistles. Once established, it is drought-resistant, making it an excellent choice for combining lavender and rosemary in rocky soil.

As per 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.