General Culture:

Best grown in lean, dry to medium moisture, well-drained sandy loams in full sun. Does well in average garden soils and tolerates poor soils as long as drainage is good. Avoid heavy clays and moist, rich, fertile soils. Tolerates hot, humid summers and drought. Best sited in locations protected from strong winds. Plants tend to sprawl, particularly in hot, humid climates such as St. Louis and/or if grown in moist, rich soils. Cut plants back after flowering to tidy the planting and to encourage new foliage growth and additional bloom. Plants may be sheared to basal foliage after bloom. Divide clumps as needed (every 2-3 years) to maintain the vitality of the planting. Plants slowly spread by rhizomes and can naturalize into substantial colonies over time. 'Paprika' is offered by some seed companies as seed, but the resulting flower colors may vary. May self-seed in the garden unless spent blooms are promptly deadheaded.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

'Paprika' is a spreading, mat-forming common yarrow cultivar which is noted for its deeply-dissected, fern-like, aromatic, medium green foliage and its tiny, long-lasting, dusty-red flowers with yellow centers which appear in dense, flattened, compound corymbs (to 2-3" across) throughout the summer on stems typically rising 1.5-2' tall. Initial flower color fades, sometimes rather quickly, to light pink, creamy yellow and brown. Foliage has a strong, somewhat spicy aroma which persists when used in dried arrangements. Millefolium means "thousand-leaf" in reference to its fern-like foliage. Although many authorities list 'Paprika' as one of the Galaxy Hybrids (A. millefolium x A. 'Taygetea'), The Royal Horticultural Society Index of Garden Plants and the American Horticultural Society A to Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants both consider it to be a cultivar of A. millefolium. Achillea millefolium and its cultivars have a more spreading habit than some of the taller, clump-forming yarrows such as A. filipendulina.