Integrated Pest Management

Common Yarrow

Achillea millefolium

Common Yarrow

Common yarrow growth habit (Theodore Webster, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org)

Common Yarrow

Common yarrow foliage (Steve Dewey, Utah State University, Bugwood.org)

Common Yarrow

Common yarrow flowers (Mary Ellen Harte, Bugwood.org)

Description

  • low-growing plant with soft, feather-shaped leaves and upright flower stalks
  • umbrella-shaped flower clusters contain five ray flowers surrounded by 10 to 20 disk flowers
  • plants produce rhizomes (underground stems)

Location

  • commonly grows in lawn areas but may also invade adjacent planting beds

Life Cycle

  • spreading herbaceous perennial with flower production from mid-summer to early fall
  • seeds mature by mid-autumn and are immediately able to germinate, particularly if temperatures are between 65-75°F
  • flower stalks dry and leaves are dormant in winter months
  • rhizomes resume growth in spring

IPM Recommendations

  • Effective control must target both aboveground and underground plant structures.
  • Frequently hand-pull aboveground structures prior to seed maturation to prevent re-seeding; mechanical removal of aboveground foliage will not kill underground plant parts.
  • Manually remove underground structures to prevent re-sprouting.
  • Spot treat foliage with appropriate post-emergent systemic herbicide when plants are actively growing. More than one herbicide application may be necessary to kill all spreading structures.