Achillea filipendulina — fern-leaved yarrow
![Stems: Achillea filipendulina. ~ By Dr. Nasip Demirkus. ~ Copyright © 2024 Dr. Nasip Demirkus. ~ nasip[at]hotmail.com](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Asteraceae/achillea-filipendulina-st-ndemirkus1.jpg)
![Plant form: Achillea filipendulina. ~ By Charles Brun. ~ Copyright © 2024. ~ brunc[at]wsu.edu ~ Pacific Northwest Plants - www.pnwplants.wsu.edu/](https://newfs.s3.amazonaws.com/taxon-images-1000s1000/Asteraceae/achillea-filipendulina-ha-pnw.jpg)
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Facts
With its deeply-dissected, grayish-green foliage and large, dense corymbs of tiny yellow flowers, fern-leaved yarrow is a popular garden plant, tolerant of drought and poor soils. As a consequence, it is an occasional escapee from cultivation, having been collected in Vermont. There are a wide variety of cultivars in the horticulture trade.
Habitat
Anthropogenic (man-made or disturbed habitats)
New England distribution
Adapted from BONAP data
Native: indigenous.
Non-native: introduced (intentionally or unintentionally); has become naturalized.
County documented: documented to exist in the county by evidence (herbarium specimen, photograph). Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
State documented: documented to exist in the state, but not documented to a county within the state. Also covers those considered historical (not seen in 20 years).
Note: when native and non-native populations both exist in a county, only native status is shown on the map.
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enlargeCharacteristics
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Vermont
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Ray flower color
-
- pink to red
- white
- Tuft or plume on fruit
-
- NA
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Leaf blade length
- 100–200 mm
- Flower head width
- 1.3–2 mm
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
-
Flowers
- Bract outer side hair type
- the bracts are hairy, with simple hairs on their outer surface
- Bract outer side hairs
- the bracts are hairy on their outer surfaces
- Bract shape
- the main bracts are lanceolate (widest above the base, then taper narrowly towards the tip)
- Disk flower color
- white
- Disk flower lobe number
- 5
- Disk flower number
-
- 11-20
- 21-50
- Disk flower reproductive parts
- the disk flower has both pollen- and seed-producing parts
- Flower head outer flowers
- at the outer edge of the flower head, each flower has a single enlarged lobe or strap
- Flower head platform
- the base has papery scales on it
- Flower head platform surface
- the scales are slightly hairy, at least near the top
- Flower head position
- some or all the flower heads are grouped in clusters of two or more
- Flower head profile
- the disk is flat or nearly flat across the top
- Flower head width
- 1.3–2 mm
- Flower type in flower heads
- the flower head has tubular disk flowers in the center and ray flowers, these often strap-shaped, around the periphery
- Height of flower head base
- 3.5–5 mm
- Inflorescence branching (Solidago)
- NA
- Inflorescence shape
- the inflorescence is flat-topped in profile
- Inflorescence stem
- the stem of the inflorescence is not hairy
- Ovary beak
- there is no beak on the ovary
- Ovary cross-section
- the ovary is compressed (flattened)
- Ovary hair type
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary hairs
- the ovary has no hairs on it
- Ovary lines or ribs
-
- there are three lines or ribs visible on the ovary
- there are two lines or ribs visible on the ovary
- Ovary profile
-
- in profile, the ovary is oblong (roughly rectangular but rounded at the ends)
- in profile, the ovary is roughly egg-shaped, but widest above the middle
- Peduncle hair type
- the hairs on the peduncles appear tangled or woolly
- Peduncle hairs
- the peduncles are hairy
- Peduncle length
- 2 mm
- Ray flower color
-
- pink to red
- white
- Ray flower reproductive parts
- the ray flowers have carpels or stamens, but not both
- Ray flowers
- 1-5
- Ray length
- At least 1 mm
- Reproductive system
- some of the flowers on the plant have only carpels or stamens, while others have both carpels and stamens
- Style branch number
- the style has two branches
- Style branches
- the style branch is wider at the tip and has a flattened end, or the style branches are wider at the tips and have flattened ends
- Width of flower head base
- 3 mm
-
Fruits or seeds
- Number of pappus parts
- 0
- Ovary length in developed fruit
- 1.5–1.75 mm
- Seed hair tuft bases
- NA
- Seed hair tuft color
- NA
- Seed hair tuft details
- NA
- Seed hair tuft length
- 0 mm
- Seed hair tuft tips
- NA
- Seed hairs uniform
- NA
- Seed tuft scale number
- 0
- Seed tuft type
- there is no pappus on the ovary
- Top of disk flower ovary
- NA
- Tuft or plume on fruit
-
- NA
- there is no plume, or the plume is made up of scales, awns, a crown, or a rim
-
Glands or sap
- Leaf blade glands
- the leaf blades have glandular (translucent) dots or scales
- Sap
- the sap is clear and watery
-
Growth form
- Growth form
- the plant has one or more free-standing stems
- Horizontal rooting stem
-
- there are no stolons
- there are stolons on some plants
- Plant lifespan
- the plant is perennial, it shows evidence of previous year's leaves, stems or stem bases
- Spines on plant
- the plant has no spines
- Underground organs
- the plant has a rhizome (a horizontal underground stem with roots growing from it)
-
Leaves
- Final leaf segment width (compound lvs only)
- 1.5–8 mm
- Hairs on underside of leaf blade
- the underside of the leaf is fuzzy or hairy
- Hairs on upper side of leaf blade
- the upper side of the leaf is not hairy, or has very few hairs
- Leaf arrangement
- alternate: there is one leaf per node along the stem
- Leaf blade base
-
- the leaf has a distinct petiole
- the leaf has no petiole
- Leaf blade base shape
- the base of the leaf blade is cuneate (wedge-shaped, tapers to the base with relatively straight, converging edges), or narrow
- Leaf blade edges
- the edge of the leaf blade has teeth
- Leaf blade flatness
- the leaf is flat (planar) at the edges
- Leaf blade hairs
- the leaf blade has hairs with glands at their tips
- Leaf blade length
- 100–200 mm
- Leaf blade shape
-
- the leaf blade is lanceolate (lance-shaped; widest below the middle and tapering at both ends)
- the leaf blade is oblong (rectangular but with rounded ends)
- Leaf blade tip
- the tip of the leaf blade is acute (sharply pointed)
- Leaf blade veins
- the leaf blade has one main vein running from the base towards the tip
- Leaf blade width
- 5–35 mm
- Leaf disposition
- the leaves are nearly similar in size, prominence of teeth, and length of stalks throughout the stem
- Leaf spines
- there are no spines on the leaf edges
- Leaf stalk
-
- the leaves have leaf stalks
- the leaves have no leaf stalks, but attach directly to the stem
- Leaf tip extension
- NA
- Leaf type
- leaves are simple (i.e., lobed or unlobed but not separated into leaflets)
- Leaflet number
- At least 15
- Specific leaf type
-
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis
- the leaf has a row of two or more lobes on each side of the central axis, and each lobe itself has rows of lobes on each side of the lobe's central axis
-
Place
- Habitat
- terrestrial
- New England state
- Vermont
- Specific habitat
- man-made or disturbed habitats
-
Scent
- Plant odor
- the plant has a pleasant odor, such as licorice, fruit or resin
-
Stem, shoot, branch
- Leaves on stem
- there is at least one full leaf above the base of the flowering stem
- Stem internode hair direction
- the hairs point mostly upwards to outwards
- Stem internode hair type
-
- at least some of the hairs on the stem are tangled, matted or woolly
- the hairs on the stem are plain, without glands or branches, and not tangled
- Stem internode hairs
- the stem has hairs between the nodes
Wetland status
Not classified
In New England
Distribution
- Connecticut
- absent
- Maine
- absent
- Massachusetts
- absent
- New Hampshire
- absent
- Rhode Island
- absent
- Vermont
- present
Conservation status
None
From Flora Novae Angliae dichotomous key
1. Achillea filipendulina Lam. E
Fern-leaved yarrow. VT. Gardens, waste areas.
Native to North America?
No
Sometimes confused with
- Achillea tomentosa:
- final divisions of leaves usually narrower than 1 mm and stems hairy with woolly hairs (vs. A. filipendulina, with final divisions of leaves 1.5-8 mm wide and stems hairy but not with woolly hairs).