Achillea 'Moonshine'

Achillea 'Moonshine': A Timeless Beacon of Garden Brightness

Achillea 'Moonshine' is a beloved classic among yarrows, celebrated for its soft, silvery foliage and luminous lemon-yellow blooms. This long-flowering perennial brings cheerful colour and fine texture to sunny garden spaces while thriving in heat and drought once established. With its upright, clump-forming habit and fern-like leaves, 'Moonshine' adds a sophisticated, airy quality to borders, cottage gardens, and pollinator plantings—delivering resilience and beauty in equal measure.

Product Characteristics:

• Height: Grows to a height of 45–60 cm, offering mid-border height and an elegant vertical accent.
• Spread: Spreads approximately 45–60 cm, forming a tidy, bushy clump that fills space without becoming unruly.
• Flower Colour: Displays flat-topped clusters of bright lemon-yellow blooms that appear to glow above the silvery foliage.
• Flowering Period: Blooms from early summer to early fall, with the strongest flush in early summer and repeat blooming with deadheading.
• Foliage: Features finely cut, aromatic, silvery-grey foliage that provides year-round interest and soft texture.
• Sunlight Requirements: Requires full sun to maintain compact growth and produce the best flowering display.
• Soil Requirements: Prefers well-drained soil and tolerates poor, sandy, or rocky soils; avoid heavy or overly wet conditions.

Uses and Benefits: Achillea 'Moonshine' is an excellent choice for adding brightness and contrast to sunny borders, rock gardens, and drought-tolerant plantings. Its long-lasting flowers are rich in nectar, attracting bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. The upright habit and soft foliage make it a versatile companion for bolder perennials, while its deer and drought resistance ensure low-maintenance reliability. It’s also an excellent cut flower, both fresh and dried, adding value inside and out.

Companion Plants: Create a sunny, pollinator-friendly display by pairing 'Moonshine' with Echinacea purpurea for its bold, daisy-like blooms and shared love of dry, sunny conditions. Add Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage) for a haze of lavender-blue that contrasts beautifully with the yellow blooms and silvery foliage. Finish the grouping with Stachys 'Silver Carpet' (Lamb’s Ear), whose velvety, silver leaves echo the yarrow’s texture and tie the planting together with foliage harmony. These companions thrive under similar conditions and offer a mix of colour, texture, and seasonal interest.

Care Instructions: Once established, 'Moonshine' is very drought tolerant and thrives with minimal care. Avoid overwatering or planting in poorly draining soil. Deadhead spent flowers to encourage continued blooming and prevent self-seeding. In late fall or early spring, cut back old stems to maintain a tidy appearance. The plant may benefit from division every few years to keep it vigorous and prevent overcrowding.

History: Achillea 'Moonshine' was introduced in the 1950s and is a hybrid of Achillea clypeolata and Achillea taygetea, combining the compact habit and silvery foliage of the former with the long-lasting bloom and durability of the latter. It quickly became a garden staple for its performance, colour, and adaptability, remaining a top choice for designers and home gardeners alike. 'Moonshine' helped to elevate yarrow’s status from wildflower to must-have perennial.

Final Thoughts: Achillea 'Moonshine' is a time-tested favourite that earns its place in any sunny garden. With its glowing yellow flowers, soft silver foliage, and exceptional drought tolerance, it’s a reliable and beautiful workhorse. Whether you're designing a Mediterranean border, pollinator haven, or a low-maintenance landscape, 'Moonshine' offers enduring appeal and effortless charm from early summer through fall.