Achillea millefolium The Beacon

Achillea millefolium 'The Beacon', also known as Yarrow, brings a touch of vibrancy to any summer border. It is a robust perennial with light flowering, in small corymbs of intense fuchsia pink with orange-yellow centers.

From July to September, this perennial accompanies the summer blooms and the blue stars of asters. Exuberant and undemanding, this cottage garden favorite adds a nostalgic charm to any unpretentious border. Easy to grow in all regions.

Achillea millefolium 'The Beacon' is a stoloniferous perennial, with an upright habit from spring. It belongs to the Asteraceae family. The plant reaches a height of 60 cm (24in) when in flower, with foliage measuring 20 to 25 cm (8 to 10in). It spreads up to 30 cm (12in) or more.

The flowers, present from July to September, are actually heads, with the central disc florets tubular and yellow, while the peripheral florets are ligulate, in shades of fuchsia. These heads, which appear at the top of the stems, form flattened or slightly rounded corymbs, measuring 7 cm (3in) in diameter. They give rise to fruits called achenes. The stem is channelled and villous. The light, feathery foliage is matte silver-green, highly aromatic even when dry, and finely divided into strips. It forms a tall, airy, deciduous or semi-evergreen clump.

Exuberant and undemanding, this cottage garden favourite adds a nostalgic charm to any unpretentious border. Achillea millefolium 'The Beacon' integrates well in a rock garden, at the top of a wall, as an edging, or on a slope where it helps to stabilize and protect against erosion. This stoloniferous plant can be used as ground cover over large areas. It can replace a lawn in low-traffic areas, eliminating the need for mowing. It tolerates competition from tree roots, making it a good ground cover for woodland edges. As it is easy to grow and withstands drought well, it is perfect for planting under shrub roses or bordering a sunny bed.

According to Pliny the Elder, a Roman naturalist from the 1st century AD, its name comes from Achilles, a hero from Greek mythology who used it to heal wounds. Achilles supposedly 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 promote healing, and the flowers have stimulating, tonic, and febrifuge effects at high concentrations.