Island Pink Yarrow (Achillea millefolium ‘Island Pink’) is a popular ornamental perennial. It is recognized for its vibrant pink blooms and robust, adaptable nature. Its visual appeal and resilience make it a favored choice for various garden settings.
Characteristics and Benefits
Island Pink Yarrow has spreading mats of fern-like, deeply divided green leaves. Its foliage is fine-textured, aromatic, and soft to the touch. Throughout spring, summer, and fall, the plant produces showy, flat-topped flower clusters that are a rich, bright pink, often fading to softer shades of pink and cream as they mature.
This perennial grows 1 to 3 feet tall and 2 to 3 feet wide, forming a semi-evergreen groundcover. It is hardy and low-maintenance, thriving in various conditions. Once established, it is drought-tolerant, making it suitable for water-wise landscapes. Its flowers attract beneficial pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds to the garden.
Planting and Care
Island Pink Yarrow thrives in full sun, especially in cooler summer regions. In warmer areas, afternoon shade can prevent stress and maintain plant vigor. Adequate sunlight promotes abundant flowering and a compact growth habit.
The plant is adaptable to various soil types, including sandy, clay, loam, and rocky soils. It performs well in well-draining conditions and can tolerate poor soils, as excessive richness can lead to leggy growth and flopping. Good drainage is important to prevent root issues, as it dislikes overly wet conditions.
Once established, Island Pink Yarrow is drought-tolerant and requires low to medium watering. Deep, infrequent watering is recommended after its second growing season, as too much moisture can cause the plant to become floppy. In its initial growth phase, consistent but not excessive watering helps it develop a strong root system.
Pruning is beneficial for maintaining the plant’s appearance and encouraging continuous blooms. Deadheading spent flower stalks can prolong the flowering season and prevent unwanted self-seeding. For a tidier plant or to encourage bushier growth, stems can be cut back by one-third to one-half in early summer after the first flush of flowers. A more substantial cutback to basal foliage can be done in late fall or early spring to refresh the plant.
Island Pink Yarrow requires minimal to no fertilization. Over-fertilizing, especially with nitrogen, can lead to excessive foliage growth at the expense of flowers and cause the plant to become floppy. If soil fertility is extremely poor, a light application of a balanced fertilizer in the fall may be considered, but it is often unnecessary.
Garden Uses and Design
Island Pink Yarrow’s robust nature and vibrant blooms make it adaptable for many garden applications. It is an excellent choice for xeriscaping due to its low water requirements, and it integrates well into rock gardens. Its spreading habit also makes it an effective groundcover.
Its upright, spreading form lends itself well to mass plantings, creating drifts of color, or as border edging in garden beds. As a native selection from the Channel Islands, it complements other drought-tolerant plants in naturalistic or California native plant gardens. Its attractiveness to pollinators makes it a valuable addition to pollinator gardens, supporting local ecosystems. Its long-lasting flowers are suitable for use as cut flowers, whether fresh or dried, adding lasting color indoors.