How to Grow Common Agrimony
Agrimonia eupatoria
Common Agrimony is a hardy perennial hedgerow herb that thrives in well-drained soil with sun to partial shade. Plant in a border, wildflower patch, or herb garden and leave it largely to its own devices: it needs no feeding and minimal watering once established. The upright spikes of small yellow flowers appear from midsummer and are the prime harvest window for herbal tea. Cut leaves before or during flowering, dry in bunches, and store in an airtight jar. Cut the whole plant back to the basal rosette in late autumn. Expect spreading by seed; remove spent flower heads if you want to contain it.
In your Leaftide garden 
- Height
- 60 cm
- Spread
- 30 cm
- Flowers
- June
- Light
- Full sun to part shade
- Water
- Moderate
Yearly Lifecycle
Care Essentials
Top-dress with compost in spring. No supplementary feeding needed: thrives in poor to average soil.
Watch For
- Powdery mildew in dry summers
- Slugs on young growth
- Aphids on flower spikes
Companions
Meadowsweet, Yarrow, Wild marjoram, Betony
Care Requirements
Light
Full sun to partial shade
Thrives in open sunny spots or the dappled shade of a hedgerow. Tolerates a range of aspects. Avoids deep shade: stems become lax and flowering is reduced.
Watering
Moderate; drought-tolerant once established
Water young plants during dry spells in the first season. Established clumps are drought-tolerant and rarely need watering except in prolonged dry summers.
Fertilizing
Top-dress with compost in spring; no feed required
A light spring mulch of garden compost is sufficient. Excess nitrogen encourages lush leafy growth at the expense of flowers and fragrance. Thrives in poor to average soil.
Pruning
Cut back to ground level in late autumn
Remove spent flower spikes promptly to limit self-seeding. Cut all stems to near ground level in late autumn once foliage dies back. No summer pruning needed.
Spacing
30 cm apart
Space plants 30 cm apart to allow air circulation and accommodate the upright flower spikes. Can be planted more closely in a wildflower meadow setting.
Growing Tips
Lean soil is fine
Agrimony comes from dry grassland and hedge banks. It does best in poor, free-draining soil in sun or light shade; rich soil gives tall, floppy plants.
Deadhead before the burs form
The hooked fruits that follow the yellow spikes cling to clothing and fur. Cut spent spikes if you plant beside a path or where dogs run, or leave them if you want it to self-sow.
Pests & Diseases
Disease Powdery Mildew
Symptoms: White, powdery coating on leaves and stems, mainly in dry summers.
Treatment: Remove badly affected stems and bin them. It rarely harms an established plant.
Prevention: Do not let the soil dry out completely in a long dry spell, and do not plant too close together.