Yarrow 'Moonshine'

Questions about yarrow 'Moonshine'

Does yarrow 'Moonshine' need sun or shade?

Yarrow 'Moonshine' grows in full sun (6 or more hours of direct sun a day).

It wants dry, sharply drained soil, on the lean side, with no feeding, and little watering once settled.

What zones does yarrow 'Moonshine' grow in?

USDA zones 3 to 8. It is hardy to zone 3, which means it survives winter nights down to about −30 °F (−34 °C).

Above zone 8 it struggles: the zones measure winter cold, but a plant's top zone usually means the summers are too hot or the winters too mild for it to rest.

Gardening in Canada? Use the USDA zone for your town: Canada's own zone map uses different numbers.

When does yarrow 'Moonshine' flower in my zone?

In zone 5 it flowers mid June to early August. As a summer flower it moves about half a week for every zone: earlier where it is warmer.

Worked out from Hopkins' bioclimatic law: spring arrives about four days later for each degree of latitude north, and one zone is roughly two degrees. A warm spring or a cold one moves any garden two weeks either way.

How far apart should yarrow 'Moonshine' be planted?

18 in (45 cm) apart, from the middle of one plant to the middle of the next. That is a little closer than its full width of 24 in (60 cm), so a group knits into one patch.

It grows 24 in (60 cm) tall. Give it the full distance from anything taller, or it will lean out towards the light.

How many yarrow 'Moonshine' plants do I need?

At 18 in apart, set out in staggered rows:

• 5 to fill 10 square feet (about 1 m²)
• 7 for a single row 10 ft (3 m) long
• 17 to fill a 4 × 8 ft bed on its own

In a mixed border, plant it as a group of three or five, with a second group further along in the other number.

In the bed above, the planner used three in one group.

Is yarrow 'Moonshine' poisonous to dogs and cats?

Yes: mild toxicity to dogs, cats and horses. Can cause vomiting and diarrhoea in pets if eaten.

Rated from the ASPCA. Where references disagree, the more cautious rating is used.

Is there a pet-safe plant like yarrow 'Moonshine'?

These come closest to doing what yarrow 'Moonshine' does, and no toxicity is recorded for them:

• Prairie coreopsis: the same job in a bed and the same colour; 4 in taller, flowers mid June to mid July.
• Common blanket flower: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same colour; flowers mid June to early September, medium leaves, not fine.
• Tennessee coneflower: the same job in a bed, the same size and the same flowering time; pink, not yellow.

Matched the way the planner's Swap button matches plants: the same job in a bed, then size, then flowering time.

What flowers after yarrow 'Moonshine'?

Yarrow 'Moonshine' is over by early August. These start as it finishes and carry the same spot on, so it never goes flat:

• Lilyturf: from early August to mid September, 16 in tall, to stand in front of it and cover its fading stems.
• Sedum 'Autumn Joy': from mid August to mid October, 24 in tall.
• Little bluestem 'Standing Ovation': from early August to mid September, 3½ ft tall.

What does yarrow 'Moonshine' look like in winter?

Yarrow 'Moonshine' holds some of its leaves into winter, more in a mild year or a sheltered spot, and they look tired by March. Cut the old ones off as new growth starts.