186 Species of Genus Achillea

Achillea: A Plant Genus Close to My Heart

The plant world is a vast and fascinating one, full of diverse species with unique characteristics and uses. Among these, the genus Achillea holds a special place in my heart. Perhaps it’s the delicate beauty of the flowers, or maybe it’s the rich history and folklore associated with these plants. Whatever the reason, I find myself drawn to these hardy perennials.

Achillea, commonly known as yarrow, belongs to the Asteraceae family, which also includes sunflowers and daisies. The genus boasts around 186 species, with a native range spanning Europe, Asia, and North America. These plants are renowned for their feathery foliage and flat-topped clusters of tiny flowers that bloom in a variety of colors, including white, yellow, pink, and red.

A Deep Dive into Achillea

The genus name, Achillea, is derived from the Greek hero Achilles. Legend has it that Achilles used yarrow to treat his soldiers’ wounds during the Trojan War. This association with healing has cemented yarrow’s place in traditional medicine across various cultures.

Beyond its medicinal properties, Achillea has also been valued for its ornamental beauty. Its long blooming period and ability to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies make it a popular choice for gardens and landscapes.

Notable Achillea Species

The genus Achillea encompasses a diverse array of species, each with its own unique characteristics. Here are:

  1. Achillea abrotanoides (Vis.) Vis.
  2. Achillea × abscondita Wein
  3. Achillea absinthoides Halácsy
  4. Achillea acuminata (Ledeb.) Sch.Bip.
  5. Achillea adeniae Aytaç & Ekici
  6. Achillea aegyptiaca L.
  7. Achillea ageratifolia (Sm.) Benth. & Hook.f.
  8. Achillea ageratum L.
  9. Achillea × albinea Bjelčić & Maly
  10. Achillea aleppica DC.
  11. Achillea alexandri-regis Bornm. & Rudsky
  12. Achillea alimeana Semiz & Uysal
  13. Achillea alpina L.
  14. Achillea ambrosiaca (Boiss. & Heldr.) Boiss.
  15. Achillea apiculata N.I.Orlova
  16. Achillea arabica Kotschy
  17. Achillea armenorum Boiss. & Hausskn.
  18. Achillea asiatica Serg.
  19. Achillea aspleniifolia Vent.
  20. Achillea atrata L.
  21. Achillea aucheri Boiss.
  22. Achillea baldaccii Degen
  23. Achillea baltae H.Duman & Aytaç
  24. Achillea barbeyana Heldr. & Heimerl
  25. Achillea barrelieri (Ten.) Sch.Bip.
  26. Achillea biserrata M.Bieb.
  27. Achillea boissieri Hausskn. ex Boiss.
  28. Achillea × borzae Prodan
  29. Achillea brachyphylla Boiss. & Hausskn.
  30. Achillea × bronchalensis Mateo, Fabado & C.Torres
  31. Achillea bucharica C.Winkl.
  32. Achillea × buiana Prodan & Nyár.
  33. Achillea callichroa Boiss.
  34. Achillea cappadocica Hausskn. & Bornm.
  35. Achillea carpatica Błocki ex Dubovik
  36. Achillea ceretanica (Sennen) I.Soriano
  37. Achillea chamaemelifolia Pourr.
  38. Achillea chrysocoma Friv.
  39. Achillea × claudio-politana Soó
  40. Achillea clavennae L.
  41. Achillea clusiana Tausch
  42. Achillea clypeolata Sm.
  43. Achillea coarctata Poir.
  44. Achillea conferta DC.
  45. Achillea × conrathii Fritsch
  46. Achillea × correvoniana Vacc.
  47. Achillea × coziana Nyár.
  48. Achillea cretica L.
  49. Achillea crithmifolia Waldst. & Kit.
  50. Achillea cucullata Bornm.
  51. Achillea cuneatiloba Boiss. & Buhse
  52. Achillea cunoraea F.K.Mey.
  53. Achillea distans Waldst. & Kit. ex Willd.
  54. Achillea × dragomanii Prodan
  55. Achillea × dumasiana Vatke
  56. Achillea erba-rotta All.
  57. Achillea eriophora DC.
  58. Achillea euxina Klokov
  59. Achillea falcata L.
  60. Achillea × feliciana Brügger
  61. Achillea filipendulina Lam.
  62. Achillea formosa (Boiss.) Sch.Bip.
  63. Achillea fraasii Sch.Bip.
  64. Achillea fragrantissima (Forssk.) Sch.Bip.
  65. Achillea getica Grecescu
  66. Achillea glaberrima Klokov
  67. Achillea goniocephala Boiss. & Balansa
  68. Achillea grandifolia Friv.
  69. Achillea griseovirens Albov
  70. Achillea gypsicola Hub.-Mor.
  71. Achillea hamzaoglui Arabacı & Budak
  72. Achillea × hausmanniana Suend.
  73. Achillea holosericea Sm.
  74. Achillea × huber-morathii Rech.f.
  75. Achillea × illiczevskyi Tzvelev
  76. Achillea impatiens L.
  77. Achillea × incognita Danihelka
  78. Achillea × intermedia Schult.
  79. Achillea inundata Kondr.
  80. Achillea × jaborneggii Halácsy
  81. Achillea × jauchiana Guyot
  82. Achillea × javorkae Prodan
  83. Achillea jenisseensis Stepanov
  84. Achillea × joannis Prodan
  85. Achillea kamelinii Kupr.
  86. Achillea karatavica Kamelin
  87. Achillea × kasakhstanica Kupr. & Alibekov
  88. Achillea kellalensis Boiss. & Hausskn.
  89. Achillea × kerneri Halácsy
  90. Achillea ketenoglui H.Duman
  91. Achillea × keuperi García Cardo & Sánchez Melgar
  92. Achillea kirschneri Yıld. & Kılıç
  93. Achillea kotschyi Boiss.
  94. Achillea kuprijanovii Stepanov
  95. Achillea × laggeri Sch.Bip.
  96. Achillea latiloba Ledeb. ex Nordm.
  97. Achillea ledebourii Heimerl
  98. Achillea leptophylla M.Bieb.
  99. Achillea ligustica All.
  100. Achillea lingulata Waldst. & Kit.
  101. Achillea lycaonica Boiss. & Heldr.
  102. Achillea macrophylla L.
  103. Achillea magnifica Heimerl ex Hub.-Mor.
  104. Achillea × major (Boiss.) Heimerl
  105. Achillea maritima (L.) Ehrend. & Y.P.Guo
  106. Achillea maura Humbert
  107. Achillea × maxima Heuff.
  108. Achillea membranacea DC.
  109. Achillea micrantha Willd.
  110. Achillea micranthoides Klokov
  111. Achillea × mihalikii Prodan
  112. Achillea millefolium L.
  113. Achillea milliana H.Duman
  114. Achillea monocephala Boiss. & Balansa
  115. Achillea multifida (DC.) Griseb.
  116. Achillea nana L.
  117. Achillea nobilis L.
  118. Achillea × nyaradyana Prodan
  119. Achillea × obscura Trevir.
  120. Achillea occulta Constantin. & Kalpoutz.
  121. Achillea ochroleuca Ehrh.
  122. Achillea odorata L.
  123. Achillea oligocephala DC.
  124. Achillea oxyloba (DC.) Sch.Bip.
  125. Achillea oxyodonta Boiss.
  126. Achillea pachycephala Rech.f.
  127. Achillea pannonica Scheele
  128. Achillea phrygia Boiss. & Balansa
  129. Achillea pindicola Hausskn.
  130. Achillea polyphylla (Gaudin) Schleich. ex Paill. & Vendrely
  131. Achillea × prodanii Degen
  132. Achillea pseudoaleppica Hausskn. ex Hub.-Mor.
  133. Achillea × pseudodorata Rouy
  134. Achillea pseudopectinata Janka
  135. Achillea ptarmica L.
  136. Achillea ptarmicifolia (Willd.) Rupr. ex Heimerl
  137. Achillea ptarmicoides Maxim.
  138. Achillea pyrenaica Sibth. ex Godr.
  139. Achillea × reichardtiana Beck
  140. Achillea × romanica Prodan
  141. Achillea × rompelii Murr
  142. Achillea roseoalba Ehrend.
  143. Achillea × rozaliae Prodan
  144. Achillea rupestris Huter, Porta & Rigo
  145. Achillea × ruscinonensis Rouy
  146. Achillea sahandica Turrill
  147. Achillea salicifolia Besser
  148. Achillea santolinoides Lag.
  149. Achillea schauloi Stepanov
  150. Achillea schischkinii Sosn.
  151. Achillea schmakovii Kupr.
  152. Achillea × schneideri Rouy
  153. Achillea × schroeteri F.O.Wolf
  154. Achillea sedelmeyeriana Sosn.
  155. Achillea sergievskiana Shaulo & Shmakov
  156. Achillea setacea Waldst. & Kit.
  157. Achillea sieheana Stapf
  158. Achillea sintenisii Hub.-Mor.
  159. Achillea sipikorensis Hausskn. & Bornm.
  160. Achillea sivasica Çelik & Akpulat
  161. Achillea spinulifolia Fenzl ex Boiss.
  162. Achillea stepposa Klokov & Krytzka
  163. Achillea stojanoffii Prodan
  164. Achillea × submicrantha Tzvelev
  165. Achillea × subtaurica Tzvelev
  166. Achillea talagonica Boiss.
  167. Achillea taygetea Boiss. & Heldr.
  168. Achillea tenuifolia Lam.
  169. Achillea teretifolia Willd.
  170. Achillea × thessalica J.Wagner
  171. Achillea thracica Velen.
  172. Achillea tianschanica Kupr. & Kulemin
  173. Achillea tomentosa L.
  174. Achillea × trautmannii Heimerl
  175. Achillea trevidiciana Sennen
  176. Achillea tuzsonii Ujhelyi
  177. Achillea × tymphaea Hausskn.
  178. Achillea × tzvelevii Mosyakin
  179. Achillea umbellata Sm.
  180. Achillea × valesiaca Suter
  181. Achillea × vandasii Velen.
  182. Achillea vermicularis Trin.
  183. Achillea virescens (Fenzl) Heimerl
  184. Achillea × wagneri Prodan
  185. Achillea wilhelmsii K.Koch
  186. Achillea wilsoniana (Heimerl ex Hand.-Mazz.) Hand.-Mazz.

The Allure of Achillea

What is it about Achillea that I find so captivating? Perhaps it’s the combination of beauty and resilience. These plants are tough and adaptable, able to thrive in a variety of conditions. They’re also incredibly versatile, with uses ranging from medicinal to ornamental.

I love the way Achillea adds a touch of wildness and natural beauty to any setting. Whether it’s a formal garden or a casual meadow, these plants always seem to fit right in. And when the flowers bloom, they create a stunning display of color that’s hard to resist.

More Than Just a Pretty Face

But Achillea is more than just a pretty face. It has a long history of use in traditional medicine, dating back to ancient times. Yarrow has been used to treat a variety of ailments, including wounds, inflammation, and digestive issues.

Modern research has confirmed some of the traditional uses of Achillea. For instance, studies have shown that yarrow extracts have anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties. These findings suggest that Achillea may indeed have potential health benefits.

Cultivating Achillea

Growing Achillea is a rewarding experience. These plants are relatively low-maintenance and can thrive in a variety of conditions. They prefer full sun and well-drained soil, but they can tolerate some shade and drought.

Achillea can be propagated from seed or by division. Once established, these plants require minimal care. Deadheading the spent flowers can encourage more blooms and prevent self-seeding.

A Personal Connection

My fascination with Achillea goes beyond its aesthetic appeal and practical uses. I see these plants as a symbol of resilience and adaptability. They remind me that beauty can be found even in the harshest of environments.

I also appreciate the connection Achillea has to history and folklore. It’s fascinating to think that these plants have been valued by people across cultures and throughout time.

In a world that often feels chaotic and unpredictable, Achillea offers a sense of stability and grounding. It’s a reminder that nature is a constant source of beauty and wonder.

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