Achillea millefolium Red Beauty

 The 'Red Beauty' yarrow is a semi-evergreen perennial that is particularly floriferous. Its flat umbel flowers range in colour from bright red to purplish pink and continue to bloom continuously from June to August. Easy to grow, this plant is suitable for both gardening enthusiasts and beginners. This cultivar forms a compact upright clump with aromatic, grayish-green, and deeply cut leaves, giving it a light and feathery silhouette. Yarrow can be planted in all regions, in sunny and well-drained soil. It is a perennial plant that is perfect for flower beds. Resistant to heat and summer drought, it also thrives in dry gardens. With its spreading habit, it is also well-suited as a ground cover, gradually forming beautiful flower carpets as it spreads with its rhizomes.

Yarrow is a stoloniferous perennial plant native to Europe and Asia Minor that belongs to the aster family. Attractive to pollinators, especially beetles, yarrow forms a clump of characteristic leaves that resemble those of certain ferns. The 'Red Beauty' variety reaches a height of 70 cm when in bloom with a spread of 60 cm. The stem is channelled and velvety, and the aromatic foliage is finely divided into strips. The inflorescence is a flattened corymb, about 15 cm (6in) in diameter, held well above the foliage. It is composed of numerous small flower heads. When dried, the flowers remain decorative long after summer and can also be dried outdoors and in the shade for creating dried bouquets. By regularly removing faded inflorescences, the flowering is very perpetual. It prefers fresh, light, and moderately fertile soils, but also tolerates limestone soils, dry soils in summer, and less sunny exposures. Heavy, waterlogged soils should be avoided.

As a perennial plant that is hardy and undemanding, the 'Red Beauty' yarrow blends well in a dry meadow with golden grasses and the airy blooms of scabiosa and mullein. Easy to grow and drought tolerant, it can be used to adorn the base of bushes or to edge a sunny flower bed. In a sunny border, it can be planted in the middle or back. Plant them with red, orange, and yellow flowers such as crocosmias and dahlias, as well as dark foliage plants like 'Semaphore' canna lilies, heucheras, and bronze fennels. Consider pairing it with the slender silhouettes of red hot pokers, rusty foxgloves, and Argentine verbenas to enhance the horizontal aspect of its umbels.

The plant has recognized medicinal properties: it is a hemostatic, the leaves are healing, and the flowers have stimulating, tonic, and fever-reducing effects when concentrated. The young shoots, with their bitter taste, are harvested in spring and consumed sparingly in salads, sauces, or as a sandwich garnish. In some regions, they are used to flavour beers. Yarrow tea is beneficial for 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 soldiers' wounds during the Trojan War.