Achillea millefolium Hymne

The 'Hymne' yarrow is a creation by Bryan Kabbes that has the advantage of blooming abundantly from June to August in a sulphur yellow to creamy yellow color, tinged with a rather rare green shade for the species. It complements all color ranges in flower beds wonderfully well. This easily cultivated variety forms an upright clump with aromatic, greyish-green and deeply cut leaves, giving it a light and feathery silhouette. The yarrow requires no maintenance and can be planted in any garden in the sun, as long as it is kept away from heavy and moist soils. It is a perennial plant that is perfect for flower beds, resistant to heat and summer drought. With its spreading habit, it is also suitable as a ground cover, eventually forming beautiful flowering carpets as it spreads with its rhizomes.

The yarrow is a perennial plant that spreads by stolons and is native to Europe and Asia Minor, belonging to the asteraceae family. As a honey plant, yarrow attracts pollinators and supports the development of wildlife. The variety 'Hymne' forms a clump of matte leaves, particularly silver-green, starting from spring and reaching a height of 30 cm (12in) to 70 cm when flowering, with a spread of 60 cm. The stem is channelled and hairy, and the foliage is aromatic, finely cut into strips. The inflorescence is a slightly rounded and flattened corymb, composed of numerous small flower heads. When dried, the flowers remain decorative for a long time after summer and can also be dried outdoors and in the shade for creating dried bouquets. By regularly removing faded inflorescences, the very repeat-flowering period extends from June to August. It prefers fresh, light, and rich soils but also tolerates limestone soils, dry soils in summer, and less sunny exposures.

Perennial, hardy, and undemanding, the 'Hymne' yarrow will fit well in a dry meadow in combination with pennisetum, blue asters, lavenders, and benoites like the 'Eos' cultivar, which would enhance the almost fluorescent green hues of its flowers. Easy to grow and tolerant of drought, consider using it to cover the base of shrubs or border a sunny flower bed. In a colorful flower bed, consider pairing it with plants with silver foliage like artemisias and violet, blue, and orange flowers. Think about combining it with plants with slender silhouettes like torch lilies, Verbena bonariensis, rusty foxgloves, and Phygelius 'African Queen' to enhance the horizontal aspect of its umbels.

The plant has recognized medicinal properties: it is hemostatic, the leaves have healing properties, and the flowers have a stimulating, tonic, and febrifuge effect when concentrated. The young shoots, with a bitter taste, are harvested in spring and consumed sparingly in salads, sauces, or as sandwich fillings. In some regions, it is used to flavor beers. Yarrow tea is effective against oily skin.

Yarrow owes its name to the Greek hero Achilles, who is said to have discovered its medicinal properties by using it to treat the wounds of soldiers during the Trojan War.