Similar to people, plants usually flourish better when surrounded by close friends. Furthermore, despite being stationary, plants can still work together to grow and prosper. The idea of companion gardening is becoming increasingly well-liked because of these possibilities.
Gardeners frequently seek to mix amiable species, whether the goal is to boost diversity in the garden or make it a more prospering place for plants. Every plant, including vegetables, flowers, herbs, and fruits, can be incorporated into the companion planting concept. And today, we’ll be concentrating on the appropriate and inappropriate companion plants for Yarrow- a perennial flowering plant.
Before learning the fundamentals of Yarrow, we will first thoroughly comprehend the idea of companion planting. After that, we’ll enter the realm of yarrow’s beneficial and harmful companion plants.
What is Companion Planting?
Companion planting is a gardening science that has a long history. This science was the only method of protecting plants from weeds and pests and ensuring increased yield long before commercial pesticides and fertilizers were developed.
One of the main reasons behind practicing companion planting is that it promotes a diverse garden more akin to nature. In other words, when friendly crops are paired, they help each other in several ways, including the following:
- Boost growth
- Repel pests
- Control weeds
- Attract beneficial insects
- Improve flavor for each other
- Help each other thrive
- Save space
- Result in a better harvest
- Enhance soil health
Companion planting is used in developed and developing nations because it has numerous advantages. And many of the companion planting practices used today have roots in Mesoamerica and ancient Asia.
It wouldn’t be inaccurate to describe the idea of companion planting as an old-fashioned one with a lot of current applications. It is a natural method of using crops to protect crops.
Yarrow Plant: The Basics
Now let’s take a step forward and find out what yarrow is to understand better what plants should and should not be planted with it.
Yarrow, also referred to by its botanical name Achillea millefolium, is a perennial plant in the Asteraceae family. Yarrow plants are primarily found in meadows and grassy woods in the United States. However, they are native to the temperate zones of the Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe, and North America. Being a long-blooming perennial, if planted in the spring, Yarrow will continue to bloom into the fall.
The following is a list of several common yarrow species.
- Anthea
- Appleblossom
- Apricot Delight
- Cerise Queen
- Fernleaf
- Common Yarrow
- Paprika
- Wonderful Wampee
- Pomegranate
- Pink Grapefruit
- Strawberry Seduction
- Woolly
The drawback of yarrow is that it is difficult to eradicate and multiply via rhizomes. Therefore, you might only plant one yarrow plant but end up with several yarrow plants in your garden.
| Common name | Yarrow, common yarrow, thousand-leaf, soldier's woundwort, nosebleed plant, sanguinary, thousand-seal |
| Botanical name | Achillea millefolium |
| Type | Herbaceous perennial |
| Origin | Asia, Europe, and North America |
| Hardiness zone | USDA 3 to 9 |
| Blooming time | Summer and fall |
| Mature size | 2 to 3 feet tall and wide |
| Flower colors | Purple, yellow, white, orange, pink, red, tan, gold |
| Sun exposure | Full sun |
| Soil type | Usually well-drained, sandy, loamy, and clay |
| Soil pH | Neutral |
| Maintainance | Medium |
| Propagation | Seed, division, and tip-cutting |
| Toxicity | Toxic to cats, dogs, and horses |
Best Yarrow Companion Plants
The main point of the article is this. This section will cover the plants that go well with yarrow. Gardeners can profit from pairing this plant with a variety of other crops.
Flowers to Pair With the Yarrow
In your garden, choose to combine yarrow with other blooming plants that have colorful blossoms if you want a stunning color display. Your garden will be a paradise for pollinators and the most colorful spot on earth.
1. Daylily
Daylily, often known as day lily, is a stunningly low-maintenance flower that produces huge, trumpet-shaped flowers in a rainbow of colors. It will contrast well with the yarrow flowers. Daylilies require almost no upkeep, just like yarrows. Therefore, combining these two plants would bring you peace. Additionally, daylilies can thrive in any soil type and are almost disease and pest-free.
2. Penstemon
Growing native plants together is always a smart move. Since penstemon is native to North America, it could be a good idea to match yarrow plants with it. And certainly, penstemons are an absolute must if you want hummingbirds to frequent your garden.
Many gardens throughout the world have made the colorful tubular flowers their favorites. These plants are relatively simple to grow because they require wet, well-drained soil and exposure to full or partial sunlight with some annual mulching.
3. Lavender
This perennial evergreen is a garden choice for most gardeners due to its many advantages. If planted in full sun, lavender is a resilient plant that can endure practically any situation. Not just because their flowers contrast beautifully but also because yarrow and lavender grow well together; they can be paired effortlessly.
The USDA zones 3-9 are ideal for growing these flowers. Both of these plants are hardy, drought-tolerant, and low maintenance. Did we also mention that lavender plants attract bees after they bloom? So certainly, planting yarrow and lavender together will improve pollination in your yard.
4. Black-eyed Susan
Black-Eyed Susans bloom between summer and fall and are low-maintenance plants, much like yarrows. Because of their nearly identical maintenance requirements, it will be simpler for you to cultivate these two plants together.
Additionally, the flowers will contrast with one another, resulting in a lovely floral display in your garden. To create a soft white, yellow, red, or pinkish floral blanket in your garden, grow Common Yarrow in front of your Black-eyed Susan plants.
Fruits and Vegetables to Pair with the Yarrow
Yarrow plants can be coupled with fruit and vegetable plants in addition to flowers. Companion planting is used in vegetable gardening to draw pollinators, promote growth, and maximize production.
Your companion plants would benefit from better pollination and harvest since yarrow blossoms draw pollinators. Yarrow will also assist the growth of fruit trees by enriching the soil with nutrients.
1. Tomatoes
Aphid attacks are common on tomatoes. In order to attract aphid-eating insects and protect tomato plants from any upcoming aphid invasion, combine them with yarrow. Also, the total productivity of your tomato garden could be increased because of the pollination provided by this flowering plant by drawing helpful insects.
2. Melons
One plant that gets along well with practically every other garden plant is the melon. Melons are also simple to grow. Keep in mind that the pollen must be moved by insects, primarily bees, for Mellon pollination to occur. Therefore, the likelihood of high pollination would increase yield if you combine melons with yarrow.
It would be wise to plant a strip of yarrow in front of your melons to serve the purpose since melons need full sun to thrive. But remember that yarrow and melons both attracted powdery mildew. Because of this, even if they are mutually beneficial, they may suffer from the same diseases if they are planted close together.
3. Apple Trees
Apple trees grow tall with lots of space underneath. You can plant yarrow around the apple tree’s base to deter pests, make good use of the available space, and boost soil richness. Yarrow can eventually stop grass and weed seeds from growing by acting as excellent shade plants. These pants can also serve as an “attractor,” luring helpful birds and pollinators to your apple tree to boost fruit yield.
4. Orange Trees
Pests and harmful insects frequently attack oranges and other citrus fruit trees. As a result, growing them alongside yarrow plants would aid in repelling aphids by luring insects that eat these pests. Additionally, yarrow plants add minerals to the soil, such as potassium, a crucial nutrient for citrus plants.
5. Brassicas
Yarrows’ ability to deter pests makes them a good match for vegetables from the brassica family. Moreover, because yarrow plants are good shade-providing plants, they can be fantastic garden companions for brassica crops, which benefit from a colder temperature to grow better.
6. Garlic
Yarrow and garlic can be combined because the latter helps the former grow. Additionally, yarrow and garlic work well together to keep aphids out of your garden, which can also be advantageous for other crops.
Herbs to Pair with the Yarrow
One of the most fulfilling activities you can engage in is growing your herb garden. You can avoid pests and ensure a steady supply of your preferred herbs. And nothing could be better than combining your herbs with welcoming garden companions.
With this in mind, here is a list of herbs that go well with the perennial flowering plant- yarrow.
1. Rosemary
Rosemary is a fantastic herb that deters insects and improves the well-being and caliber of the plants. These low-maintenance plants go well with yarrow and require little care. But keep in mind that rosemary also requires uninterrupted sunlight to survive. So, with essentially equal maintenance requirements—direct sunlight and weekly watering—these plants will get along well.
2. Basil
The ability of basil to ward off insects is well recognized. Additionally, the leaves of this plant have a strong aroma that lures pollinating insects. The bottom line is that basil helps its nearby plants more than it needs to be protected. Hence, your yarrow will be well-protected from a range of pests if planted near basil.
3. Thyme
Thyme is a low-maintenance, drought-tolerant herb. This herb keeps pests at bay, which also helps the surrounding plants grow. However, yarrow and thyme can attract insects that consume aphids, such as ladybugs, which consume more than 50 aphids daily and pollinate crops.
4. Oregano
Oregano and yarrow can be wonderful garden companions because they both need less water to thrive. But the character of both of these plants is one of invasion. Therefore, it is not advised to put them side by side on the ground.
Instead, you can keep oregano close to the yarrow by growing it in separate pots. Pests would stay away from the yarrow due to the smell of oregano, and the blossoms would draw pollinators.
Yarrow a Good Companion Plant?
Every novice yarrow grower wonders whether this plant pairs well with other plants in the garden. This is a valid question, in fact, as yarrow has a bad image for spreading quickly—almost to the point of being invasive.
Actually, yarrow can make a good companion plant. Combining this plant with other healthy plants might provide you with several advantages.
For example, aphid-eating bugs, migratory bees, and butterflies are attracted to this plant, which is one of the main reasons it makes a suitable companion plant.
Additionally, yarrow’s fragrance deters dangerous insects.
Additionally, because it grows to a height of at least 3 feet, the yarrow plant can provide shade for low-growing plants. So, under the partial shade provided by yarrows, plants that can tolerate shade can grow and prosper.
Finally, the yarrow plant adds nutrients to the soil, another advantage of using it in your garden. Potassium, magnesium, copper, calcium, and phosphorus are nutrients that this plant restores in the soil.
The yarrow can, however, become invasive if the plant’s expansion is not properly controlled. The University of California Integrated Pest Management Program attests to this fact. In addition, pollen and seeds of the plant are transported by wind, making it challenging to control its spread.
The Not-So-Friendly Yarrow Companion Plants
Undoubtedly, the yarrow is an excellent plant to combine with a variety of other garden crops. Nevertheless, several plants shouldn’t be grown close to this host plant. We can say that the unfriendly companion plants we will mention in this section will not make your yarrow happy.
Keep in mind that the yarrow spreads across a vast region and becomes tall. So, it is not a good idea to grow flowering plants that love the sun close to the yarrow, as doing so would create shade and devoid the plants from getting the proper sunlight. Having stated that, yarrow plants should not be grown with the following sun-loving blooming plants.
- Aster
- Sedum
- Bee balm
- Butterfly weed
- Purple coneflower
- Lamb’s ear
The following plants should not be grown together with yarrow: zucchini, pumpkin, cucumber, and squash. The fact that these plants and yarrow draw powdery mildew is one of the main arguments against accepting them. As a result, there is a good likelihood that these pests may attack your garden if they are combined.
The Takeaway
So, this was all about yarrow companion plants.
After examining all the information, we would like to make the following recommendation: anytime growing yarrow close to any plant, keep in mind the height and potential invasiveness. To protect the growth of the nearby plants, you should attempt to control its spread.
And it would be better to grow it by itself rather than close to other crops if you feel it would be difficult for you to devote the time to control its growth.