Moana Nursery High Desert Plant Finder & Guide
perennial

Marshmallow Yarrow

Achillea ptarmica 'Marshmallow'

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Marshmallow Yarrow (Achillea ptarmica 'Marshmallow') at Moana Nursery

Marshmallow Yarrow flowers

Marshmallow Yarrow flowers

(Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder)

Height:  12 inches

Spacing:  10 inches

Sunlight:  full sun 

Hardiness Zone:  3

Other Names:  Marshmallow Achillea

Description:

This compact, heavily blooming selection produces masses of double white blooms that fill the plant from late spring to late summer; low maintenance and easy to grow; drought and heat tolerant; a great addition to the garden and excellent for containers

Ornamental Features

Marshmallow Yarrow is smothered in stunning balls of double white flowers at the ends of the stems from late spring to late summer. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive tomentose ferny leaves remain dark green in color throughout the season.

Landscape Attributes

Marshmallow Yarrow is an herbaceous perennial with a mounded form. It brings an extremely fine and delicate texture to the garden composition and should be used to full effect.

This is a high maintenance plant that will require regular care and upkeep, and is best cleaned up in early spring before it resumes active growth for the season. It is a good choice for attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to your yard, but is not particularly attractive to deer who tend to leave it alone in favor of tastier treats. Gardeners should be aware of the following characteristic(s) that may warrant special consideration;

  • Spreading
  • Self-Seeding

Marshmallow Yarrow is recommended for the following landscape applications;

  • Mass Planting
  • Border Edging
  • General Garden Use
  • Groundcover
  • Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
  • Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Marshmallow Yarrow will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 inches. When grown in masses or used as a bedding plant, individual plants should be spaced approximately 10 inches apart. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an herbaceous perennial, this plant will usually die back to the crown each winter, and will regrow from the base each spring. Be careful not to disturb the crown in late winter when it may not be readily seen!

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It prefers to grow in average to dry locations, and dislikes excessive moisture. It is considered to be drought-tolerant, and thus makes an ideal choice for a low-water garden or xeriscape application. This plant does not require much in the way of fertilizing once established. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in poor soils. It is highly tolerant of urban pollution and will even thrive in inner city environments. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division; however, as a cultivated variety, be aware that it may be subject to certain restrictions or prohibitions on propagation.

Marshmallow Yarrow is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. It is often used as a 'filler' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, providing a mass of flowers and foliage against which the thriller plants stand out. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.

 
 
Hardiness Zone  Plant Height  Minimum Sunlight   
Characteristics
Massing  Edging  Garden  Groundcover  Naturalizing  Container 
Applications
Flowers  Foliage Color  Texture  Attracts Wildlife  Deer Resistant 
Features & Attributes