Achillea Marshmallow
Achillea MarshmallowA hand with a gold ring holds several small, white Achillea Marshmallow flowers by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd in front of green foliage, each petal delicately curved like a soft border radius.Achillea MarshmallowAchillea MarshmallowAchillea Marshmallow by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd displays soft blooms amid lush green foliage, bordered by a wooden fence and companion plants—like dropdown menu choices framed with ideal border radius.A garden bed featuring Achillea Marshmallow by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd, with lush green stems, white and purple blooms, and a light stone border reminiscent of a smooth border radius.The Achillea Marshmallow from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd features white, layered blooms among green leaves and stems, with small purple flowers below—reminiscent of a sunlit, CSS-styled garden.Achillea Marshmallow from Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd blooms with soft curves in a lush garden, its pale blossoms forming vibrant edges of color against greenery—like perfect border radius beneath the open blue sky.Achillea Marshmallow by Bishy Barnabees Cottage Garden Ltd features white, double blooms with layered petals on green stems, accented by pointed leaves and buds—like a well-structured CSS details element in a pristine garden.Achillea MarshmallowAchillea Marshmallow
Perennial Pollinator AGM

Achillea Marshmallow

Achillea ptarmica 'Marshmallow'

£3.25approx. 100 seeds

Soft, fluffy, double white pompom flowers in clouds — the florist's favourite white achillea, vigorous and reliable, and one of the best perennials for cutting and drying.

Sowing months
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Height
70–90cm
Spread
45–60cm
Spacing
45cm
Position
Full sun or partial shade
Soil
Moisture-retentive; tolerates clay and damp conditions
Grow guide
How to grow Achillea Marshmallow
Read the full guide →
About this variety

Soft double white pompoms on slender stems from midsummer to autumn, and a great many of them. An established clump will throw hundreds of cutting stems in a season, which is why it turns up in so many florists' patches.

It is a close relative of 'Ballerina' and the difference is worth knowing before you choose. 'Marshmallow' is looser, taller and considerably more vigorous. You get more stems, but the habit is relaxed rather than tidy and the stems are not as reliably self-supporting after rain. If you want a neat mound at the front of a border, take 'Ballerina'. If you want volume for the vase, take this.

The vigour comes at a cost. It runs on underground rhizomes and in rich, moist ground it will run enthusiastically into whatever is next to it, so divide it every couple of springs and keep an eye on its neighbours. Like all the sneezeworts it is happiest in ground that stays damp, so it will grow where a common yarrow gives up. It dries well and holds its white.

Plant alongside

Achillea Marshmallow pairs beautifully with these cottage garden classics

Achillea Ballerina
Achillea Ballerina
£2.25
Achillea Cerise Queen
Achillea Cerise Queen
£2.30
Ammi majus
Ammi majus
£2.20

RHS Plants for Pollinators

This plant has been assessed by the Royal Horticultural Society and recommended as especially beneficial to bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Growing plants like this directly supports UK pollinator populations — something close to our hearts at Salle Moor Hall Farm, where we see the difference a cottage garden full of the right plants can make.

Learn more at RHS.org.uk →

RHS Award of Garden Merit

The RHS Award of Garden Merit is given to plants of outstanding excellence for ordinary garden use. To earn this award a plant must be of good constitution, available to the gardening public, and perform reliably across a range of UK growing conditions. It is one of the most trusted plant recommendations in British gardening and a genuine mark of quality.

Learn more at RHS.org.uk →