Achillea 'Terracotta'

Achillea 'Terracotta': Peach Today, Burnt Orange Tomorrow

Opens peach, ages to terracotta orange, then fades toward cream, so one clump looks like a potter's entire back catalogue. 'Terracotta' brings warm, earthy colour to the sunniest bed you've got. THE KILN IS ALWAYS ON.

Plant Characteristics:

• Botanical Name: Achillea millefolium 'Terracotta'
• Common Name: Yarrow
• Height: 60–75 cm (2–2.5 ft)
• Spread: 50–60 cm (20–24 in)
• Flowers: Flat clusters that open peach to salmon and age to terracotta orange, fading toward cream at the very end
• Bloom Time: Early summer to early fall (June to September)
• Foliage: Silvery grey-green, finely divided and feathery
• Features: Good fresh or dried cut flower

Where to Plant: Its warm, earthy flowers make it a natural in prairie-style plantings, gravel gardens and hot-colour borders. It's happy in a dry bed near a driveway or along a hot fence line. Avoid wet, heavy clay that stays soggy in spring.

Companion Plants: Echo the terracotta tones with warm reds and cool blue grass in a dry, sunny bed. Iris pumila 'Lady in Red' opens soft red dwarf iris at 30 cm in May and June, before the yarrow starts. Allium 'Gladiator' adds lilac-purple globes at 90 to 120 cm in the same weeks. Gaillardia Low Rider™ sits in front at 20 to 25 cm with red and yellow daisies from June to October. Schizachyrium Prairie Winds® 'Brush Strokes' grows to 80 to 90 cm in powder blue, taking on wine-red tones in early fall.

Plant Care: Plant in full sun in lean to average, well-drained soil. Good drainage matters more than anything else. Skip the fertilizer, since rich soil makes yarrow tall and floppy. Water through the first season, then let it handle dry spells on its own. Shear the plant back after the first big flush of bloom to tidy it up and encourage more flowers. Cut back in late fall or early spring. Divide every three or four years in spring.

History: 'Terracotta' is credited to Ernst Pagels, a nurseryman known for his yarrow selections. The species name millefolium means "thousand leaves", for the finely cut foliage.

Final Thoughts: Silver foliage, drought tolerance and a steady stream of bees and butterflies. Cut some for a vase that matches. EVERY POT IN YOUR YARD JUST GOT JEALOUS.