Achillea

I know there are many beautiful varietes but somehow I’m always underwhelmed by Achillea and its “homely” flowers.

Supposedly they work in hot and dry climates so I’ve tried them in the garden. In 2022 I planted Achillea millefolium “White Beauty”. In the summer of 2023 their bright white quickly turned into a very dirty offwhite and the plant itself proved to be everything but drought-resistant. Instead it constantly threatened to die despite getting watered. It made somewhat of a small comeback in 2024 but without any flowers.

Achillea taygetea proved more resistant, but its lovely bright lemon-yellow flowers quickly turn into a somewhat “meh” dusty cream color. With 2024’s wet spring under its belt it has worked out well and even spread somewhat. But it remains underwhelming. Just not my favorite flower.

Achillea umbellata is supposedly a very drought-resistant ground cover with allelopathic properties – Olivier Filippi gives it a 4/6. Mine has so far rather underwhelmed in that regard. It didn’t die but it didn’t thrive either – even though it’s planted in the shade of a Vitex shrub.