Achillea 'Cerise Queen' Seeds
If you are looking to add a splash of vibrant, jewel-toned colour to your garden, 'Cerise Queen' is a true showstopper. This hardy perennial produces stunning, flat-topped flower heads in a rich shade of deep cherry-pink, each accented by a tiny white centre. One of the loveliest things about this variety is the way the colours change as they age; the flowers gradually fade through soft pastel pink to cream, creating a beautiful multi-tonal effect that looks like you've planted several different varieties in one spot.
Adored for its "plant and forget" nature, 'Cerise Queen' is a cultivated version of our native wildflower yarrow, meaning it has all the toughness of a wild plant but with a much more glamorous floral display. Its feathery, dark green foliage is semi-evergreen, providing attractive ground cover even in the depths of winter. Whether you're filling a sunny border or looking for a reliable cut flower that dries beautifully, this yarrow is an essential worker in the cottage garden that will return to delight you year after year.
🌿 Understanding the Plant
Achillea millefolium 'Cerise Queen' is a Hardy Herbaceous Perennial. It is incredibly robust and can handle the coldest British winters with ease, earning it the highest hardiness rating of H7.
Vibrant and Versatile: Reaching a height of around 60cm, it is shorter and more compact than its cousin 'Cloth of Gold', making it perfect for the middle of a border or for smaller garden spaces. It forms a dense, mat-forming clump that suppresses weeds naturally.
A Gardener's Friend: The feathery leaves aren't just beautiful to look at—they are also aromatic and highly resistant to deer and rabbits. It is also exceptionally drought-tolerant once established, making it ideal for the increasingly dry UK summers.
🌱 Growing Guide
Yarrow is wonderfully easy to grow from seed, provided you remember the golden rule: don't cover the seeds!
How to Sow: Sow indoors from February to April. Surface sow the tiny seeds onto moist seed compost and press them in lightly, but do not cover them with soil—they need light to trigger germination. Keep them warm (15-20°C) and you should see sprouts within 10-14 days.
Planting Out: Once the seedlings are large enough to handle and the risk of frost has passed, plant them in their final sunny spot in May or June. Alternatively, you can sow in September or October to establish plants that will overwinter and flower earlier the following year.
Ongoing Care: Full Sun: These plants are sun-worshippers and need full light to keep their colours vibrant. The "Lean" Diet: They actually prefer poor or "lean" soil. Avoid adding heavy manure or rich compost, as this can make the stems grow tall and floppy. Maintenance: Cut back spent flower heads after the first flush to encourage a second wave of blooms later in the season.
📋 Plant Specifications
| Botanical Name | Achillea millefolium 'Cerise Queen' |
| Common Name | Yarrow / Milfoil |
| Plant Type | Hardy Perennial |
| Hardiness | H7 (Extremely Hardy) |
| Light Requirements | Full Sun ☀️ |
| Height | 60cm |
| Spread | 60cm |
| Spacing | Plant 45cm apart |
| Flowering Period | June to September |
| Perfect For | 🦋 Pollinators 🏡 Cottage Borders ✂️ Cut Flowers |
| Seeds per Packet | Approximately 800 seeds |
🤝 Beautiful Garden Combinations
'Cerise Queen' looks stunning when paired with other classics from our cottage garden collection:
🌼 Oxeye Daisy (Leucanthemum): The "Strawberries and Cream" Look. The pure white petals and bright yellow centres of the daisy provide a fresh, summery contrast to the deep pink yarrow.
💙 Cornflower 'Blue Ball': The Meadow Masterpiece. The electric blue of the cornflowers vibrates beautifully against the cerise-pink tones, creating a vibrant, wildlife-friendly display.
💜 Salvia 'Violet Queen': The Royal Pair. Plant the vertical purple spikes of Salvia behind the horizontal mounds of pink yarrow for a sophisticated textural and colour contrast.
📅 Sowing & Flowering Calendar
UK Perennial Cycle: Sow indoors Spring or outdoors Autumn. Flowers June to September.
✂️ A Multi-Tonal Treat
'Cerise Queen' provides a long season of interest. To keep the flowers coming, deadhead spent blooms regularly. Every 3 years, divide your clumps in spring to keep them healthy and create free plants for the rest of your garden!
🐝 A Biodiversity Hero
Listed on the RHS 'Plants for Pollinators' list, 'Cerise Queen' is a magnet for butterflies and bees. Its flat flower heads act as perfect landing pads for visiting insects throughout the summer.
🏡 Build Your Cottage Garden
An essential for any naturalistic border. Browse our full range: Cottage Garden Seeds Collection
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£2.30 - Regular price
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£2.30
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