How to Cut Back Yarrow

Yarrow (Achillea spp.) is a hardy late-summer-blooming perennial that thrives in sunny locations in a wide range of soil types. Wild varieties of yarrow bloom in white and yellow, while modern cultivars are available in pastel to deep shades of pink, maroon and gold. Yarrow's feathery foliage and dense flower umbels enhance the late season landscape and make long-lasting cut flowers. Cut back yarrow flowerheads when the blooms fade to encourage more flowering.

Things You'll Need

• Garden shears or pruners

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Instructions

1. • 1

     Examine your yarrow plants for blooms that are fading.

   • 2

     Hold the fading flower head in one hand and examine its stem down to the base.

   • 3

     Snip the dying flower stem with pruners or garden shears, just above any side shoots or buds if there are any on the stem or near the base.

   • 4

     Cut all the dead stems back to about 1 to 2 inches above the plant base at the end of the growing season to allow light and air circulation in the early spring.