Yarrow vs Joe-Pye Weed - TreeTime.ca

Yarrow vs Joe-Pye Weed

Achillea borealis (Previously Achillea millefolium)

Eutrochium maculatum

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Yarrow
Joe-Pye Weed

Yarrow is a herbaceous, native wildflower that is found across Canada. It features large, flat clusters of tiny white flowers. The blooms attract a variety of pollinators, making it an ideal choice for pollinator gardens. While partial shade is tolerated, the best flowering occurs in full sun. Yarrow is resistant to deer and rabbits, making it both a beautiful and practical addition to your landscape.

The entire plant is edible, but leaves and flowers are most commonly consumed. They have a strong licorice scent and a mild sweet flavor that is similar to tarragon. Yarrow leaves can also be used as a natural insect repellent.

It is important to plant Yarrow in the right place, it can spread quickly via both rhizomes and self-seeding. Deadheading the spent flowers will extend the bloom season and can help limit self-seeding.

Joe-Pye Weed is a tall native perennial wildflower known for its clusters of fragrant pink flowers. Blooming from mid-summer to early fall, its long-lasting blooms attract a wide range of pollinators, including bees, butterflies, moths, and other beneficial insects. Adding to its ecological value, Joe-Pye Weed also serves as an important host plant for several species of butterflies and moths, and its seed heads provide food for small birds into the fall and winter.

Joe-Pye Weed is well suited to pollinator gardens, rain gardens, riparian zones and wetland plantings, as well as naturalization and restoration projects. It spreads through underground rhizomes to form small colonies and is generally easy to manage, though it may require additional care and maintenance in smaller urban yards and gardens. It is also resistant to deer, making it a good choice for gardens where deer are a concern.

Yarrow Quick Facts

Joe-Pye Weed Quick Facts

Zone: 3a
Zone: 3a
Height: 0.3 m (1.0 ft)
Height: 1.8 m (6 ft)
Spread: 0.9 m (3 ft)
Spread: 0.6 m (2.0 ft)
Light: partial shade, full sun
Light: partial shade, full sun
Moisture: dry, normal
Moisture: normal, wet
Growth rate: fast
Growth rate: fast
Life span: short
Life span: short
Growth form: upright, clump forming
Spreading: rhizomes - medium, seeds - low
Suckering: none

Toxicity: toxic to dogs, cats, and horses

Flowers: clusters of white flowers
Flowers: pink clusters
Bloom time: late spring to early summer
Bloom time: mid summer to early fall
Hybrid: no
Hybrid: no
Catkins: no
Catkins: no


Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, YT, NT, NU, PE
Native to: AB, BC, SK, MB, ON, QC, NS, NB, NL, PE
Other Names: common yarrow, devils nettle, milfoil, western yarrow, white yarrow
Other Names: joe pye weed, joe pyeweed, queen of the meadow, spotted joe pye, spotted joe pye weed, spotted joe-pye weed, spotted trumpet weed