Product Field NotesCompanion Plants
Firefly Sunshine Yarrow: Gold That Holds Its Color All Summer
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Firefly Sunshine yarrow is known for one thing above all: it holds its bright lemon-gold color all summer instead of fading to cream. The broad, flat-topped clusters sit in a level layer on straight stems above dark gray-green, feathery foliage, giving a crisp, clean contrast.
It has done well in university trials, including in Michigan. It is easy in lean soil and tolerates drought, salt and heat, which makes it one of the simplest companions you can plant beside lavender.
Firefly Sunshine at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Achillea 'Firefly Sunshine' |
| Flowers | Bright golden yellow that holds its color, clusters 3 to 5 inches |
| Foliage | Dark gray-green, finely divided |
| Bloom | Starts mid-June, peaks early July, repeats after shearing |
| Size | 28 to 30 inches tall, 24 to 28 inches wide |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 8 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Dried flower | Excellent |
Yellow and purple, done right
Gold and purple are complementary colors, and they make each other look brighter. Firefly Sunshine's flat yellow plates and lavender's upright purple spikes bloom together through midsummer, giving a high-contrast pairing that reads clearly from the road or the far end of the yard. Its gray-green leaves sit comfortably next to lavender's silver foliage before and after bloom.
Since it keeps its color rather than bleaching out, the yellow stays strong right through lavender harvest. Use it in drifts between lavender groups or as a gold band behind a lower lavender edge. Try layouts in the Companion Plant Planner.
Planting and care
- Soil: lean to average and well-drained; it tolerates salt, so it is useful near driveways and roads.
- Water: regular the first season, then only during long dry spells.
- Shearing: cut back by half after the first flush for a second round of bloom.
- Air flow: in muggy summers, lower leaves can brown; space plants well.
- Winter: reliably hardy in Michigan in well-drained soil. Cut spent stems to the basal leaves in fall or spring; no mulch needed.
A favorite for drying
Firefly Sunshine is rated excellent as a dried flower. Cut stems when the clusters are fully open and firm, bundle them loosely and hang them upside down somewhere dry and shaded. Because the color holds, dried heads stay a cheerful gold. Combined with dried lavender, they make a bright, long-lasting farmhouse bundle. It is a good fresh cut flower too.
Plug tray or bare root
Firefly Sunshine is offered as a 72-cell plug tray, ideal for growers and cut flower rows, and as a bare root plant for home gardens. See each product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Does Firefly Sunshine fade like other yellow yarrows?
It is known for holding its bright yellow through the summer rather than fading to cream.
Is it good for pollinators?
Yes, it is excellent for butterflies and bees.
Will deer eat it?
Deer tend to leave yarrow alone.
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