Achillea (Yarrow) - Milly Rock Yellow Terracotta

Achillea 'Milly Rock Yellow Terracotta' is a stunning yarrow variety that showcases a captivating blend of yellow and terracotta-colored blooms, perfect for adding warm tones to your perennial garden. This drought-tolerant perennial features flat-topped flower clusters that transition through a beautiful color progression, starting as bright yellow and maturing to rich terracotta hues. The long-lasting blooms sit atop strong stems with feathery, aromatic foliage, making this yarrow an excellent choice for borders, cottage gardens, and pollinator-friendly landscapes where its extended blooming period provides weeks of summer color.

Key Features:

- Displays unique color-changing blooms that transition from vibrant yellow to rich terracotta, creating visual interest throughout the flowering period.

- Attracts a wide variety of pollinators including butterflies, bees, and beneficial insects to enhance garden biodiversity.

- Performs exceptionally well in hot, dry conditions, requiring minimal supplemental watering once established.

- Features strong stems that resist flopping, making it excellent for cut flower arrangements and garden structure.

- Provides long-lasting blooms from early summer through fall with proper deadheading.

- Creates a striking vertical accent in perennial borders, reaching 18-24 inches in height with a compact growth habit.

Plant Care Instructions:

1. Light Requirements:

- Requires full sun for optimal flowering and strong stems.

- Needs at least 6-8 hours of direct sunlight daily.

- Insufficient light may result in weak stems and reduced flowering.

2. Watering:

- Water deeply but infrequently, allowing soil to dry between waterings.

- Once established, requires minimal supplemental watering except during extreme drought.

- Overwatering can lead to root rot and diminished performance.

3. Soil Type:

- Thrives in well-draining, lean to moderately fertile soil.

- Prefers neutral to slightly alkaline soil pH (6.5-7.5).

- Tolerates poor soil conditions better than rich, overly amended soils.

4. Temperature & Hardiness Zone:

- Hardy to Zone 3b, withstanding winter temperatures down to -35°F.

- Tolerates summer heat exceptionally well without wilting.

- No special winter protection needed in Zone 3b, as yarrow is extremely cold-hardy.

5. Fertilizer: - Apply a light application of balanced, slow-release fertilizer in early spring.

- Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers which promote floppy growth and reduce flowering.

- Generally performs best with minimal fertilization; over-feeding reduces hardiness.

6. Pruning & Maintenance:

- Deadhead spent flowers to encourage reblooming throughout the season.

- Cut back by one-third in midsummer if plants become leggy to promote fresh growth.

- Cut to ground level in late fall or early spring before new growth emerges.