Yarrow Plant

Yarrow - Achillea Millefolium a native that I adore.

When I first got interested in Native plants and attracting more butterflies into my yard this was my go to plant.

Hardy, Happy and Yellow.

And a Native drought tolerant plant.

I planted 4+ last year and just went on a Field trip to Matilija Nursery and got a boat load more. Here is the skinny on these little loves!


This is the one Native that I planted two years ago on a whim and it comes back with vigor and love every spring.  It is another California Native and can grow up to 3 feet tall. The leaves are evenly distributed and near the middle and bottom they are the largest.

The flowers are like a disk when they form. It is a flat top cluster. The flower smells sweet and like a chrysanthemum. They are drought tolerant. They compliment any butterfly garden. It will also attract predatory wasps, ladybugs and hover flies. It will need well drained soil in full sun and is not a picky plant so experiment. It can become very invasive.

Here is a chart of the Yarrow Plant.

Here is the link to a post on how to Collect Yarrow Seeds. 

How to Collect Yarrow Seeds

Yarrow this plant is a multitasker. I always used it to attract and feed Monarch Butterflies. I have come to find out after doing a little research that this plant has so many great benefits both for your health and your garden. 

Yarrow is an herb. The above ground parts are used to make medicine also. I have put a link at the end of this post for you to grab more information on its medicinal uses.

Collecting the seeds could not be easier. I spent years with this in my garden without realizing that the seeds were bountiful and easy to collect. 

This flower comes in a variety of colors but you see yellow and orange here in Southern California mainly. 

Let's get right to collecting the seeds since that is why you are here. Once the plant has flowered for its season. 

This will last from late spring throughout summer. I do not cut back my yarrow so I have the seeds once they have dried.

Here is a picture of the stocks I cut off for the seeds. The seeds when left on the plant long enough will just naturally fall off and reproduce but they need water and sunshine. So better to save them for Spring Planting.

Gather all the yarrow stalks you need there are a bazillion seeds on each one. 

I first cut the stem off and put the dried flower into the palm of my hand and gently roll it over a colander.

The seeds may be mixed with the plant head itself so I gently roll them in the colander. They will drop into the pie tin and from there I will bag and label them.

Most seed are so easy to get from a dried plant that at times I do have to giggle when I see people buying them. But on the other hand you do have to buy many seeds you do not harvest or collect. So I have to say every Spring I order my seeds for my spring garden usually ones that are unusual and rare. 

So many right? It is truly amazing what these flowers produce. I think they give me the most seeds of any of the ones I collect. Alright now bag them and have them ready for Spring and Sumer flowers for your butterflies.

 Here is a link all about the Yarrow plant.

Yarrow as an Herb Based Medicine. Another great resource.