Deciduous Perennial Upright, Clump-Forming in the Asteraceae Family
Lemon yellow blooms emerge from orange buds, then slowly fade to shades of butter cream.
'Skysail Yellow' is the trade name for Achillea millefolium 'Bosachskyye', a patented (US Plant Patent 34,831) cross of Achillea millefolium 'Desyel' and 'Surprising Cherry', bred by Adriana Klaasse Bos-Bos and discovered in Zwaanshoek, the Netherlands, in 2016.
Its signature trait is a multi-stage bloom: flower heads open from bright orange buds into lemon-yellow blooms, then fade to buttery cream, often with several stages visible on the plant at once. It forms a compact, upright, clump-forming plant with fern-like green foliage, and like common yarrow generally, it can self-seed and spread by rhizomes if not kept in check.
Pros
Multi-stage bloom color — orange buds, lemon-yellow flowers, buttery-cream fade, often all at once
Compact, tidy habit; drought- and deer-resistant once established
Long summer bloom season, good as a cut flower
Tolerant of poor, sandy, and salty soil
Cons
Patented — propagation restricted to licensed growers
Sources disagree notably on mature size (10-14 in. per most retail listings, up to 18-24 in. per the patent and one grower)
Can self-seed and spread if not managed
Highlights
Flowers move through three color stages at once — orange buds, lemon-yellow open blooms, and buttery-cream fading flowers — giving a single plant a multicolored look through its long bloom season.
Plant Data
Mature Size
10 - 14 inches
tall. - 14 inches
wide.
Sun Exposure
Full Sun - Full Sun
Moisture Tolerance
Dry - Medium: Drought-tolerant once established; prefers dry to medium moisture and good drainage.
Zones
3a - 9b
(Usually hardy to -40° F)
Tags
Attracts Bees, Attracts Beneficial Insects, Attracts Butterflies, Attracts Pollinators, Deciduous, Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant, Dry, Fall Color, Full Sun, Good for Beginners, Good for Butterfly Garden, Good for Cottage Garden, Good for Mass Planting, Good for Rock Garden, Groundcover, Low Maintenance, Medium, Naturalizing, Normal Soil, Perennial, Rabbit Resistant, Tolerant of Poor Soil, Well-Drained Soil
Bloom Period
June to September
Flower Color
Orange Buds Opening to Lemon Yellow, Aging to Buttery Cream
We try very hard to source exactly what you’d like, but sometimes growers run out of plants! While this variety is a great deal at the price shown, we know that it has limited availability. If you want the plant even if it might be more expensive, or in a different size or quantity -- after you place your order, just send us a quick note at help@northshoreplantclub.com. Then, we’ll try to get you some version of this from one of our growers. And if we can’t get it from anywhere, of course, we’ll send a refund!
Field-Grown vs. Greenhouse-Grown Plants
Plants which are well-adapted to our local climate are most often field-grown (outside). Field-grown plants are generally cheaper and have the advantage of already somewhat acclimated to our cold winters, but that means they’re not artificially far along in the spring and tend to bloom at the normal time in our area.
Spring annuals and tender perennials are typically grown in Greenhouses so they can be ready and luxurious exactly when customers want them. Some perennials are also “forced” into early bloom in greenhouses. In May, there can be a very big difference between field-grown and greenhouse-grown plants of the same type. The latter typically look good right away (so they’re a great choice where that’s important), but we typically pay a premium for it.
Estimated Recipe Cost
The cost of this recipe's ingredients will vary depending on the season and the sizes and varieties you select.
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No Pricing or Availability Right Now
We order from a rotating cast of the best nurseries in the Great Lakes region.
It looks like we've offered this plant in the past, but the nurseries we're working with this week don't appear to have it in stock at the moment.
Our goal is to bring as many plants together under "one roof" as possible, so we'll try hard to make it available again in the future!