Achillea millefolium Laura

The Achillea millefolium 'Laura', also known as Yarrow, is a recent Dutch selection that stands out for its compact habit and abundant flowering. It offers bright ruby red flowers, enhanced by a small white center. This vigorous perennial plant blooms profusely throughout the summer, with very dense corymbs composed of numerous tiny flowers. Its deciduous or semi-evergreen foliage is light, feathery, and silvery green, and it remains intensely fragrant even when dried. Exuberant and undemanding, this variety will bring a cheerful touch to dried or fresh bouquets and sunny flower beds, even in dry soil. It is easy to cultivate in all regions.

Achillea millefolium 'Laura' is a perennial plant with evergreen leaves, spreading by stolons, and forming compact tufts from spring onwards. It belongs to the Asteraceae family. It is one of the many cultivars of Achillea millefolium native to Europe and Asia Minor. The plant will not exceed 40 cm (16in) in height when in flower, with foliage reaching 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8in). It spreads over 50 cm (20in) or more.

The inflorescence is a flattened corymb. The remarkably long flowering period extends from June to September. The flowers are actually heads, with tubular and white disc florets, while the peripheral florets are ligulate and ruby red. These heads, which appear at the top of the stems, form flat or slightly domed corymbs, measuring 5 to 7 cm (2 to 3in) in diameter. They give rise to fruits called achenes. The stem is channelled and villous. The foliage is deciduous or semi-evergreen, highly aromatic even when dry, and finely divided into strips. The leaves are bipinnately lobed, feathery, and dark green with silvery reflections.

Exuberant and undemanding, this old-fashioned garden inhabitant brings charm to unpretentious flower beds. Achillea millefolium 'Laura' will integrate well in rock gardens, atop a wall, as a border, or on a slope where it will help stabilize and protect against erosion. This stoloniferous plant can also be used as ground cover over large areas, allowing you to dispense with the necessary mowing for a lawn in less trafficked zones. It tolerates root competition from trees, making it a good ground cover in woodland edges as well. As this plant is easy to cultivate and tolerates drought well, it is perfect for dressing the base of shrub roses or for bordering a sunny flower bed.

According to Pliny, a Roman naturalist from the first century AD, its name comes from Achilles, a hero from Greek mythology who used it to heal wounds. Achilles allegedly discovered the healing power of this plant during the Trojan War, when he treated a wound following the advice of Venus.

In fact, the plant has recognized medicinal properties: it is hemostatic, the leaves have healing properties, and the flowers have a stimulating, tonic, and febrifuge action.