When I first began searching years ago for flowering perennials that might be spared by deer, yarrow was one of the first plants I tried. (Maybe it was just because its botanical name, Achillea millefolium, puts it at the alphabetical top of most lists of deer-resistant plants.)

It’s been a proven winner for me when it comes to deer browsing, and I’ve discovered many other things I like about yarrow: indifference to soil types, drought tolerance, interesting foliage and airy, flat-topped flower heads that float above or just under other perennials in my garden.

The blooms last for weeks and make great cut flowers, especially if you leave on the feathery green leaves along the stalks.

Yarrow, which is native to Europe and western Asia, likes full sun but will bloom quite well in partial shade.
I’ve got yarrow in shades of white, pink, yellow and a favorite that starts as a rich magenta and fades over the summer to a pale pink.

New colors on the market include salmon, brick red and apricot.
This hardy herbaceous perennial grows from 1 to 3 feet tall and tends to form dividable clumps over the years. It will also self-seed.

According to Greek mythology, achillea was named after Achilles, who healed his warriors by staunching the flow of blood with yarrow during the battle of Troy.

Here’s canary yellow yarrow in Jim Foley’s Exxon Mobile station in Croton.