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
• Plant Patent: USPP 18,401

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: Let Cerastium 'Silver Carpet' spill along the front edge, with white flowers in May and June before the yarrow opens. Eryngium 'Big Blue' stands at 70 to 75 cm with blue flowers all summer, a sharp contrast to the red flat heads. Symphyotrichum ericoides fills in from August to October with masses of small white flowers. Give everything full sun and the bed stays in bloom from spring to fall.

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.