Growing Yarrow in a Pot: Our Tips

Which Yarrows are Suitable for Pot Cultivation?

Some yarrows like Achillea filipendulina are very tall perennials, reserved for the ornamental garden.
For a flowering pot culture, opt for medium-sized (between 30 and 60 cm) or dwarf yarrow species if you have a very small balcony or a windowsill. Generally, for a pot, one looks for a yarrow with vivid colours, but some lighter ones are also delightful and bring a lot of cohesion among your different flowerings. Planting in pots helps counter the unpleasant trait of this lovely perennial which often spreads far beyond our wishes, and as it grows quickly, one achieves a flattering visual in no time!

Among the beautiful yarrows of small to medium size:

• Achillea millefolium ‘New Vintage Violet’ with a striking colour between magenta and violet (35 cm tall).
• The yarrow taygetea (known as Egyptian yarrow), a very beautiful soft lemon yellow with silvery green-grey foliage, ideal for city balconies due to its small size (50 cm tall).
• The Achillea millefolium ‘Cerise Queen’, taller (60 cm), it forms beautiful clumps and sports a very attractive bright pink revealing a creamy white heart, carried above the dark green foliage, very beautiful alongside dwarf roses in lighter pinks.
• The Achillea ‘Bouton d’Argent’ (Achillea ptarmica), with small double cream-white flowers (60 cm tall), helps attract bees and butterflies. It’s a charming white-flowering yarrow, whose flowers stand out from species with flat-topped corymbs. Here, the flowers are presented in the form of all-white pompons, with single or double flowers depending on the cultivars, all remaining of medium size, forming a clump 50 to 60 cm tall.
• ‘Salmon Beauty’ and its salmon-pink corymbs also bring the enchantment of wild prairies… onto the terrace! It will form a clump 60 cm in all directions.

All these yarrows are suitable for a terrace or balcony.

The shortest yarrows
Among the smallest for a windowsill, opt rather for the whiteness of Achillea ptarmica ‘La Perle’, with its pompons resembling white carnations, or the yellow yarrow ‘Little Moonshine’, a very bright yellow on greyish foliage (25 cm tall).

Achillea millefolium ‘Cerise Queen’, Achillea ptarmica and Achillea ‘Little Moonshine’

Choosing the Right Pot for Yarrow

For this wild-looking plant that tends to spread, **choose a sufficiently large pot**: its root system indeed requires space. A diameter of **at least 30 cm with a minimum depth of 40 cm** should be planned.
A terracotta pot or, even better, a tall and deep planter, will be the perfect containers to accommodate it. If possible, avoid plastic which retains too much moisture. Terracotta pots have the advantage of facilitating the aeration of the roots.
The pot, regardless of its material, will be pierced at the bottom or **equipped with drainage holes** to evacuate excess water.
Do not place a saucer under the pot at all!

© Gail Frederick

Where to Place a Potted Yarrow?

**Exposure is crucial for this heat-loving perennial.** The potted yarrow, therefore, easily fits on a balcony or a terrace facing **directly south or west**. It requires at least six hours of sunlight per day. In full sun, it is completely resilient, even in a pot, but in the southern regions, consider a west or even east exposure, as it prefers partial shade there.

During a heatwave, move the pot to a partially shaded area to prevent the substrate from drying out too quickly, as potted plants are more susceptible to heat spells.

Yarrow is perfect for creating a countryside escape. You can surround it with equally rustic potted companions that thrive in the sun, such as potted linarias, potted cosmos, potted wallflowers, potted pennisetum, or a potted Lantana in their warm hues, and a dwarf Buenos Aires verbena: all these perennials accompany it for months on end!

Planting Achillea in a Pot: When, How, and Which Substrate?

Plant your young plant in spring, between March and May.

• Prepare your planting medium, which should not be too rich as this could cause the plant to grow tall with a risk of collapsing: mix equal parts of quality potting compost, coarse sand or perlite, and possibly some garden soil.
• Choose a pot 30 to 50 cm wide or 2 to 3 times the size of the root ball.
• Soak the root ball in a bucket of water for 10 minutes to hydrate it thoroughly.
• Place a layer of clay pebbles, broken terracotta shards, or small gravel at the bottom of the pot to ensure drainage, which is essential for yarrow.
• Fill the pot two-thirds full with the substrate mix.
• Set the plant in place having removed its bucket, in the middle of the pot, and cover with the remaining potting compost.
• Firm down lightly around the collar of the yarrow.
• Water generously.
• Add a layer of mulch or some clay pebbles.

→ Also read our complete guide: Yarrows: how to plant, grow, and care for them.

Caring for Potted Yarrow

Here is a perennial that is easy to maintain on a balcony or terrace, requiring minimal care:

Watering

While it’s not quite a plant you can forget about, this perennial is indeed very accommodating, even in pots. In the ground, yarrow handles drought with ease. However, in pots, it still needs watering.

When grown in a pot, don’t wait until your yarrow is thirsty — it will indicate this through the wilting of its leaves — and water it when the substrate begins to dry out by sticking your finger in it (the frequency will vary depending on whether it’s placed in a south or west-facing location). If you’re going away on holiday, yarrow can withstand two to three weeks without watering, but place it in partial shade during this period, either sheltered by a potted bush or behind a taller perennial.

Pruning

Especially in pots, more so than in the garden, do not forget to prune the spent flowers to maintain a tidy appearance in your container, particularly with white-flowered varieties that turn brown. Cutting the flowers after flowering has passed also allows the plant to rebloom a few weeks later, typically in September.

Repotting

Repot your yarrow every two to three years, in spring, especially for hybrids, when the plant emerges from its dormancy, to refresh the substrate and provide more space for the well-developed roots.

→ To read: how to divide yarrow?

Diseases and Pests

Yarrow is generally resistant to diseases and not prone to pests, with no known specific enemies. It also overwinters without any issues, as it remains hardy and will not suffer in pots, reliably returning each year. However, if you are growing it in the mountains or in a region with repeated and prolonged freezes in winter, protect it with a mulch or burlap.

Yarrow ‘Pretty Belinda’