Achillea taygetea is a range-restricted species, known from only two mountains in the Prefecture of Peloponnisos, Greece. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) is around 478 km² and area of occupancy (AOO) is 48 km². Research and monitoring of the species are extremely urgent, as there are no data about its population and habitat status. The taxon is probably threatened by grazing (inferred continuing decline in habitat) and it is very likely that its numbers and area of suitable habitat will decline due to climate change (suspected continuing decline in population size). The species is assessed as Endangered.

Achillea taygetea is a rare Greek endemic, found only in Peloponnisos, on Taygetos and Parnon mountains (Strid and Tan 1991, Strid 2022). It was assessed by Walter and Gillette (1998) for the IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants, as Rare.

There are no data available for the population of this taxon.

The species is found on limestone cliffs, rocks, boulders, ravines and in Pinus nigra forest clearings (Strid and Tan 1991, Grivas et al. 2012).

The species is probably threatened by grazing, as it grows on mountains where transhumance is widely applied. Also, it is a hemi-cryptophyte growing on high altitudes in the Mediterranean, which is a hot-spot for climate change (Giorgi 2006) and will be affected by climate change (Seddon et al. 2016) by driving species upslope, enhancing species invasion and disrupting ecosystem services, such as pollination (Inouye 2008, 2020; Vasiliev and Greenwood 2021).

The Mediterranean has long stood out in successive generations of global climate models as being particularly sensitive to rising concentrations of greenhouse gases. Models overwhelmingly project, across all scenarios, a large reduction in precipitation, more than in other land regions in relative terms (Giorgi and Lionello 2008, Tuel and Eltahir 2020). A large part of that decline occurs during winter, south of 40°N. According to Rojas et al. (2013), projections (2021–2050) of the winter Mediterranean weather and climate, using the LMDz model and the SRES A1B emission scenario, see a significant warming (between 2 and 4°C) to occur in the region, along with a precipitation decrease by 10–20 % in southern Europe, Mediterranean Sea and North Africa, against a 10 % precipitation increase in northern European areas. Also, according to Zittis et al. (2019), the more vulnerable southern Mediterranean regions, with a typically lower adaptive capacity, are projected to experience strong warming, mainly in summer, combined with pronounced drying, mainly during the wet period. Rota et al. (2022) state that most mountain plant species are expected to shift their distributional range upward, causing a change of current vegetation communities and altering the equilibrium of high mountain ecosystems (Pauli et al. 2003, Parolo and Rossi 2008). Species occurring at the highest altitudes may be extensively affected because they cannot shift their distributional range further upward (Dullinger et al. 2012). Even if mountain topography buffered the effects of climate change on plants, the poor ability of endemic plants to disperse, can impede them from tracing the geographical shift in climatically suitable environments. The Hellenic Ministry of Environment and Energy has created climate change projection maps (2023), in the frame of a LIFE programme, with the contribution of the Athens National Observatory and the Athens Academy of Sciences. According to the map of change in number of precipitation days per year in the near future (2031–2060), in relation to years 1971-2000, based on the average of seven chosen simulations of EURO-CORDEX (HadGEM2-ES_r1i1p1_RCA4, MPI-ESM-LR_r1i1pi_RCA4, EC-EARTH_r3i1p1_ΗΙRΗΑΜ5, EC-EARTH_r12i1p1_CCLM4-8-17, CNRM-CM5_r1i1p1_RACMO22E, HadGEM2-ES_r1i1pi_RACMO22E and MPI-ESM-LR__r1i1pi_REMO2009), according to emissions scenario RCP8.5, the habitat of Achillea taygetea will face a decrease of 13 rainy days per year, approximately. Therefore, it is believed that it will be affected by climate change in the following years, with loss of mature plants.

The name "taygetea" is used for cultivars sold from nurseries around the world. However, according to Pankhurst et al. (2001), since its appearance prior to 1938, circumscription of the cream-flowered cultivar Achillea 'Taygetea' has been confused by mis-application of the name (which itself is shown to be invalid) and question over its origin. Parentage is commonly attributed to A. clypeolata Sm. (yellow-flowered) x A. millefolium L. (white-flowered). DNA sequence evidence from nuclear ITS and chloroplast DNA suggest that the cultivars share a common origin but are not closely related to A. taygetea. As far as the use of this species is concerned, there are studies showing the antimicrobial properties of its essential oils. According to Magiatis et al. (2002), A. taygetea displayed moderate activities against all the tested bacterial strains and higher activities against the Gram negative tested bacterial strains, while the Gram positive strains of S. aureus and S. epidermidis appeared as the most resistant ones.

There are no data for the total population size of this species. Therefore, research on it is urgent, in order to effectively protect this taxon, as well as for its ecology, the threats it faces and actions that must be taken towards its conservation. Monitoring its population for several years along with planning its recovery and management of the area it occupies, are also necessary. Germplasm must be kept in seed banks, as well as ex situ propagation and cultivation of the species. Currently, the taxon is found in five Botanical Gardens (BCGI 2023). Fortunately, the population is included in two Natura 2000 sites. However, although it is included in the Presidential Decree 67 (1981), no protection measures have been taken towards its protection. Citizens' awareness and communication of the significance of Achillea taygetea for the country's environment will also play a huge role for its survival. The state has to protect it by enforcing laws and try to include it in international legislation.