North America Non-native Plant

Achillea Impatiens

Botanical name: Achillea impatiens

USDA symbol: ACIM6

Native status: Not native but doesn't reproduce and persist in the wild

Achillea impatiens: A Mysterious Member of the Yarrow Family If you’ve stumbled across the name Achillea impatiens in your gardening research, you might be scratching your head trying to find more information about this supposed yarrow species. Well, you’re not alone in your confusion! The Mystery of Achillea impatiens Here’s ...

Achillea impatiens: A Mysterious Member of the Yarrow Family

If you’ve stumbled across the name Achillea impatiens in your gardening research, you might be scratching your head trying to find more information about this supposed yarrow species. Well, you’re not alone in your confusion!

The Mystery of Achillea impatiens

Here’s the thing about Achillea impatiens – it’s something of an enigma in the plant world. While the Achillea genus (commonly known as yarrow) is well-established and contains many beloved garden species, Achillea impatiens doesn’t appear in major botanical databases or horticultural references as a recognized species. This could mean a few things: it might be an outdated name, a misidentification, or perhaps a very obscure or regional designation that hasn’t made it into mainstream botanical literature.

What We Know About the Yarrow Family

While we can’t provide specific details about Achillea impatiens, we can tell you that if it is indeed a true Achillea species, it would belong to a fantastic family of plants that gardeners absolutely adore. Yarrows are typically:

  • Hardy, drought-tolerant perennials
  • Excellent pollinator magnets
  • Low-maintenance once established
  • Great for naturalizing and meadow gardens
  • Available in a wide range of colors and sizes

A Better Path Forward

Since reliable information about Achillea impatiens is scarce, we’d recommend focusing on well-documented yarrow species that will give you guaranteed results in your garden. Some fantastic alternatives include:

  • Achillea millefolium (Common Yarrow) – A native wildflower that’s tough as nails
  • Achillea filipendulina (Fernleaf Yarrow) – Known for its bright yellow flower heads
  • Achillea ptarmica (Sneezewort) – Features lovely white flowers

The Takeaway

If you’re specifically looking for Achillea impatiens, we’d suggest double-checking your source or consulting with local botanical experts who might have regional knowledge. It’s possible this name refers to a local variety or is being used in a specific context we’re not familiar with.

However, if you’re simply looking for a great yarrow to add to your garden, you can’t go wrong with any of the well-established Achillea species. They’re reliable, beautiful, and will reward you with years of blooms and pollinator activity!

Have you encountered Achillea impatiens in your gardening adventures? We’d love to hear about your experience – sometimes the gardening community has knowledge that hasn’t made it into the official books yet!

Achillea Impatiens

Classification

Group

Dicot

Kingdom

Plantae - Plants

Subkingdom

Tracheobionta - Vascular plants

Superdivision

Spermatophyta - Seed plants

Division

Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants

Subdivision
Class

Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons

Subclass

Asteridae

Order

Asterales

Family

Asteraceae Bercht. & J. Presl - Aster family

Genus

Achillea L. - yarrow

Species

Achillea impatiens L.

Plant data source: USDA, NRCS 2025. The PLANTS Database. https://plants.usda.gov,. 2/25/2025. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA