Use & Care NotesCompanion Plants
Sassy Summer Lemon Yarrow: Big Yellow Plates for Early Lavender
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Sassy Summer Lemon yarrow is the early riser of its series. Its clean lemon yellow flower heads are some of the largest on any yarrow, and they open in early June, about a week ahead of its silver-leaved sibling, Sassy Summer Silver.
That early start is what makes it such a useful lavender partner: the big yellow plates land right as lavender's first spikes color up.
Sassy Summer Lemon at a glance
| Trait | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Botanical name | Achillea 'Sassy Summer Lemon' |
| Flowers | Bright lemon yellow, flat heads several inches across |
| Foliage | Green, finely divided and feathery |
| Size | 28 to 32 inches tall, 36 to 42 inches wide |
| Bloom | Starts early June, peaks late June, repeats when sheared |
| Hardiness | USDA zones 3 to 8 |
| Light | Full sun |
| Wildlife | Excellent for pollinators; deer and rabbit resistant |
Purple and yellow, done right
Yellow and violet sit opposite each other on the color wheel, so a little lemon yellow makes lavender look more purple. Sassy Summer Lemon does it with bold, horizontal plates, a nice change of shape from lavender's upright spikes. It was selected from the well-loved 'Moonshine' yarrow and carries brighter yellow florets without the gray-mold trouble that parent is known for on its leaves.
It is a big plant, close to three and a half feet wide, so give it room. Use it as a drift behind a row of lavender or as a bright anchor at the end of a bed rather than tucking it between lavender mounds, where it would crowd them.
Growing it well
- Site: full sun, lean to average soil, and good drainage. Wet winter soil causes crown rot.
- Water: regularly in its first season, then only in long dry spells.
- Feeding: skip it. Rich soil makes yarrow tall and floppy.
- Shearing: blooms last about six weeks. Once they fade, cut stems back by about half for a second round and a tidier clump.
- Winter: reliably hardy in Michigan. Cut spent stems back to the low leaves in fall or spring; no mulch needed.
In muggy, wet summers, lower leaves may brown. Good airflow, which lavender wants anyway, is the fix.
The cutting garden bonus
This is one of the best yarrows for drying, rated excellent. Cut heads when fully open and firm, strip the lower leaves and hang them upside down somewhere dry and shaded. They hold their yellow well and look cheerful in a jar with dried lavender. Plan a cutting row with the Cut Flower Planner.
Plug tray or bare root
Choose a full 72-cell plug tray if you are filling a meadow or potting up your own plants, or a bare root plant for a single clump in the border. See each product page for current availability.
Frequently asked questions
Will it spread through my lavender bed?
It fills space fairly quickly and widens into a broad clump. Give it its own spot and divide it every few years if it gets ambitious.
Does yarrow smell?
The leaves have a sharp, herbal aroma when brushed. The flowers have little scent.
Is it edible?
No. Sassy Summer Lemon is grown as an ornamental.
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