No rock garden would be complete without a planting of yarrow. These ferny looking herbaceous perennials are easy to grow and many do well in poor, dry soils. Most of the cultivated varieties commonly found in the trade today are species of Eurasian decent or hybrid crosses of these plants. The genus is named for Achilles who it was said used some concoction of the herb to heal his wounds. The alternately arranged leaves are often toothed or finely dissected providing the familiar fern-like appearance.
Most species have leaves that are bitterly aromatic.
When crushed, the leaves release a very pungent odor. One species is even known as sneezeweed or sneezewort. Often the inflorescence will be flattened producing a showy, nodding blossom. Achillea filipendulina has golden flowers. A. millefolium has white or red flowers with cultivars of lavender, yellow, and other pastel colors available.