'Saucy Seduction'
Rosy-Pink Yarrow

"I rose up early, ere dawn of day
And cut me the yarrow mid new-mown hay
To see by its magic my true-love dear
Alas I saw her, she turned from me."

-Of Thee I Dream
traditional Scottish ballad

I almost didn't add Achillea millefolium 'Saucy Seduction' to the yarrow garden because of its moronic cultivar name, aimed I suppose at folks who read Harlequin romances.

To be in the thrilling position of naming new cultivars & doing no better than that ‚ shame, shame, shame. But, well, the fuchsia or rosy-pink color was just too good to overlook.

A member of the "Seduction" series of yarrows developed by Elisabeth & Kees Sahin of the Netherlands, these were introduced stateside by by Blooms of Bressingham. The others in this series don't sound so like romance novels: the red 'Strawberry Seduction' which is just a twin for 'Paprika' & 'Pomegranate,' & yellow 'Sunny Seduction' which is a twin for 'Moonshine.'

Yarrows prefer full sun & soils that are neither too rich nor too moist, to flower madly summer & autumn. They're great as cut flowers, make good dried flowers, or of course just left in the garden as bright & varied border perennials, attracting butterflies, bees, wee bee-flies, & other happy pollinators.

This bright fuchsia variety grows to about two feet, & over time can spread into a clump nearly as wide as it is tall, divisible in spring or autumn. The ferny basal leaves are semi-evergreen, though if it does per chance some winters die entirely to the ground, it's probably fine & will come back in spring (though occasionally yarrows do rot out of the ground if there've been perpetual winter rains or the soil just drains badly).

Achilleas flower best when there are very long days of sunlight, which makes them ideal for the Pacific Northwest where, at the height of summer, the sun doesn't go down until nine or nine-thirty at night (a trade off for winters that are dark by three in the afternoon).

This rosy variety is at its peak the entirety of July & August, but can start flowering as early as June, & with deadheading, in our zone, will reflower as late as November, & minimally through all of September.

'Saucy Seduction' is superb for Zone 5 through 8 where it should perennialize for years & years with 100% success. Yarrows can be tried down to Zone 3 though to get them to overwinter may require a mulching.

Continue to:
'Appleblossom' Yarrow

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