Achillea 'Strawberry Seduction'

Achillea 'Strawberry Seduction': All the Strawberry Red, None of the Picking

Strawberry-red flowers with tiny yellow eyes, the exact shade of a lipstick your mother would have opinions about. 'Strawberry Seduction' is compact, confident and fully aware of its effect on butterflies. SWEET, SHORT AND TROUBLE.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Achillea millefolium 'Strawberry Seduction'
• Common Name: Yarrow
• Series: Seduction™, offered through Blooms of Bressingham®
• Height: 45–50 cm (18–20 in)
• Spread: 45–60 cm (18–23 in)
• Flowers: Large, flat heads of strawberry-red flowers with tiny yellow eyes
• Bloom Time: Early summer to early fall (June to September)
• Foliage: Deep green and finely divided, on a compact, upright clump
• Features: Rabbit resistant, good fresh or dried cut flower

Where to Plant: Its compact size suits the front of a sunny border, rock gardens and containers. It's a natural for pollinator plantings and cutting gardens, and it copes with the heat that bounces off driveways and patios in July.

Companion Plants: Plant 'Strawberry Seduction' in a sunny, lean-soil bed with low succulents in front and tall gold behind. Sedum 'Larinem Park' carpets the edge at 8 to 15 cm with white starry flowers in May and June. Lavandula Sensational!® adds fragrant deep violet spikes at 60 to 75 cm from July to September. Helianthus 'Sunshine Daydream' rises at the back to 150 to 180 cm with double golden blooms from July to October. Schizachyrium 'Ha Ha Tonka' grows to 90 to 120 cm, its blue-green blades tinged red and orange.

Plant Care: Give it full sun and average, well-drained soil. Lean soil keeps yarrow sturdy, so skip the fertilizer. Water regularly the first year, then only in extended droughts. Snip off faded flower heads to keep new buds coming. Cut back in late fall or early spring. Divide every few years in spring to keep the clump young and full.

History: The Seduction™ yarrows were bred in the Netherlands and introduced to North American gardeners through Blooms of Bressingham®, with the goal of a mid-sized, upright yarrow that flowers evenly for a long season. 'Strawberry Seduction' later became a parent in Walters Gardens' breeding of the Sassy Summer yarrows.

Final Thoughts: Deer and rabbits keep trying their luck and getting nowhere. Plant it front and centre. STRAWBERRIES THAT NOBODY ELSE GETS TO PICK.