Achillea Salmon Beauty
Colour that shifts as the flowers age is what sets 'Salmon Beauty' apart. Broad flat heads open warm salmon pink, soften to rose, then finish a pale creamy buff, so an established clump shows the full range at once through summer. Bred in Germany as part of the Galaxy Series from Achillea millefolium, it keeps the ferny grey-green foliage of the species. Flowering runs November to March.
Muted, faded tones make this yarrow useful in planting that could otherwise look harsh in full sun. It works in cottage borders, prairie and meadow-style schemes, gravel gardens and coastal sections, and it sits comfortably next to grasses, salvias and lavender. Cut at the salmon stage, the stems hold their colour in a vase and dry well for winter arrangements.
Stems stand straightest in full sun on free-draining soil. Poor and stony ground is fine, and so is the thin fill soil around a new build. Set plants about 45 cm apart. As with all millefolium yarrows it creeps outward on rhizomes, which is useful for covering ground but worth watching in a tight border. Divide every two or three years.
Grows 0.5 to 0.8 m tall, the flower stems held well clear of a foliage clump around 0.45 m across.
Trimming: Shear the plant back to the silver basal rosette in late autumn once flowering has finished. During summer, cut flowering stems back to a leaf joint as they fade. Wear gloves if your skin reacts to daisy-family foliage, as yarrow is a known trigger.
Deadheading: Cutting off spent heads keeps flowering going into February and stops the plant putting energy into seed. On Moonshine the fading heads turn a dull straw colour, which is the point to cut.
Fertilising: Do not feed. Rich soil produces lax growth that falls open in the middle after rain, and Moonshine flowers better and stands straighter when it is left hungry.
Watering: Water in over the first summer, then leave it alone. Established plants handle long dry spells and are a sensible choice for a bank or a strip that never gets the hose.
Pest Control: Little troubles it. Aphids occasionally cluster on new flower stems, and a strong jet of water clears them without spraying.
Disease Management: Root rot in heavy wet soil is the common cause of losses, so plant on a slight mound where drainage is doubtful. Powdery mildew can mark the foliage late in the season in still, humid conditions.
Enjoy complimentary delivery anywhere in mainland New Zealand when you purchase plants worth $250 or more*.
For orders below $250, the following flat-rate delivery charges are applicable:
- Urban delivery within mainland New Zealand: $19.95
- Rural delivery within mainland New Zealand: $39.95
- Waiheke, Chatham and Great Barrier Islands: Please contact us for shipping options.
We aim to have all orders shipped within 14 days from the order date, unless a different shipping date is specified alongside a product.
