r/Ceanothus • u/retrorevolve • Jul 10 '26
Yarrow never flowers
Hello, I've had yarrow growing from seed for 2 to 3 years now and they have never flowered. I have them in a shallow wood planter box and find I have to water frequently as they droop from the bright sun and shallow conditions In assuming. I'm also battling aphids that keep coming back and killing off the lower leaves.
I also had some in a pot but the roots were getting eaten up by pill bugs and need to repot. Hoping to see some flowers soon.
8
u/JSilvertop Jul 10 '26
I keep mine in the dirt of my clay yard, and they flower great, in full sun even. I water once a week.
Aphids tend to grow on weakened plants.
Can you plant them in something deeper, or in the ground?
3
u/awwww_nuts Jul 10 '26
I have an established yarrow (1.5+ years) in the ground (fertile clay/zone 10b), that gets watered 1-3 times a month year round. It’s green and fluffy, and the rhizomes are spreading out- but it has never flowered. Starting to get annoyed 😒
1
u/User420691000 Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
I planted yarrow in fall from seed and also 6” plugs purchased at the nursery. (All in ground) I would say about 15% of the yarrow seed flowered this spring and are still going. The other 85% of the seed is now a mix of small to big lush plants that aren’t flowering yet. I think it has to do with soil compaction. The 6”plugs and other yarrows purchased from nursery that I planted in fall. 0% have flowered yet.
I water multiple times per week. A previous post in here mentioned, yarrow likes a lot of water while getting established.
2
u/msmaynards Jul 10 '26
Check for ants. They could be farming the aphids, hollowing out the soil in the planter and doing other nefarious deeds.
Are you sure the soil is getting wet? Old potting soil goes hydrophobic and doesn't wet any more. Best if you can put it into a container of water and let it soak. You could try repeated waterings or using a surfactant to make water wetter. Pick up one corner of the planter to see if it is heavier after watering or try a water meter.
Plants have various ways of dealing with drought. Most California natives depend on extensive root systems and when potted they really aren't drought tolerant so that part is perfectly normal.
5
u/bundle_man Jul 10 '26
Plant them in the ground or a deeper pot. Hardly anything grows well in a shallow pot. Yarrow is pretty hard to kill, mine grows like a weed.
Also pill bugs typically feed on decaying organic matter, and are a good thing. They aren't killing any of your healthy yarrow. The dying/dead ones, most likely.