Achillea millefolium Mondpagode

The cultivar 'Mondpagode' is a vigorous perennial of medium size, with a very long summer flowering period in pale sulphur yellow umbels that turn white when fully open. This easy-to-grow variety is suitable for both amateurs and beginners. It forms an upright clump with aromatic, grey-green, deeply cut leaves, giving it a particularly light and feathery silhouette. Yarrow should be planted in sunny, well-drained soil. It is an excellent perennial for flower borders, resistant to heat and summer drought. With its ground-covering habit, it is also suitable for use as ground cover, gradually forming lush flowering carpets as it spreads with its rhizomes.

Yarrow is a creeping perennial plant native to Europe and Asia Minor that belongs to the aster family. It attracts pollinators and supports wildlife development as it is honey-producing. The variety 'Mondpagode' develops a clump of characteristic fern-like leaves from spring onwards, which reaches a height of 70 cm and a spread of 60 cm during the June to October flowering period. The stem is channelled and hairy, and the foliage, aromatic, is finely dissected into strips. The inflorescence is a slightly rounded flattened corymb borne well above the foliage, composed of numerous small flower heads. The flowers remain decorative for a long time after summer and can also be dried outdoors and in the shade for creating dried bouquets. By regularly removing faded inflorescences, the flowering period is very perpetual. It prefers moist, light, and rich soils, but tolerates remarkably well limestone soils, dry soils in summer, and less sunny exposures.

As a hardy, perennial, and undemanding plant, 'Mondpagode' Yarrow will blend well in a dry meadow with golden grasses and the clear, airy blooms of yellow scabiosa. Easy to grow and drought tolerant, this plant can be used to dress the base of shrubs or to edge a sunny border. In a mixed border, plant it with white and green-coloured plants such as euphorbias and evergreens, such as boxwood and variegated honeysuckle. Consider pairing it with the slender silhouettes of kniphofias, rusty foxgloves, and Argentine verbenas, which will enhance the horizontal aspect of its umbels.

The plant has recognized medicinal properties: it is a hemostatic, its leaves have healing properties, and its flowers have a stimulating, tonic, and high-concentration febrifuge action. The bitter-tasting young shoots are harvested in spring and consumed sparingly in salads, sauces, or as a sandwich accompaniment. In some regions, it is used to flavour beers. Yarrow tea is effective against oily skin.

Yarrow owes its name to the Greek hero Achilles, who is said to have discovered its medicinal properties by using it to treat the wounds of soldiers during the Trojan War.