Annual Wormwood

Annual Wormwood Care

Artemisia Annua

Other names: Sweet Wormwood, Sweet Annie, Sweet Sagewort, Annual Mugwort

What is the plant

Sometimes called mugwort, wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a woody perennial sub-shrub noted for its fragrant, silvery foliage and tolerance for poor growing conditions. It grows best within U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 4 to 9, where it is widely used as an ornamental foliage plant in xeric, or low-water, landscaping. Wormwood requires minimal upkeep or care once established in a sunny site with fast-draining soil. However, the plants will look better and live longer if watered occasionally during the summer months and pruned periodically to refresh their foliage

It can be invasive in the US.

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Humidity

Dry

Lighting

Full Sun

Hardiness zone

4 - 9

Difficulty

Easy

Hibernation

Cold Period

How to Care for the Plant

Water
As with most silver-leaved perennials, they are very drought tolerant. They will need regular water until the plants are established, but they can take care of themselves after that.
Pruning
Perennial artemisias can be cut back in the fall or spring. Shrubby varieties should be pruned in the spring. They can handle being cut back hard if you want to keep their size in check. Even non-woody artemisias can get floppy, especially after flowering. Give them a shearing mid-summer to prevent them from splitting open in the middle.
Fertilizer
Artemisias do not like overly rich soil. Since artemisias do not like rich soil, no supplemental fertilizer should be necessary if you are regularly adding organic matter to your beds.

Disease diagnosis

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Sunlight
Artemisias grow best in full sun.
Soil
With a few exceptions, such as Artemisia lactiflora, Artemisias need well-draining soil on the dry side. If left sitting in damp soil, they will decline and/or be short-lived.
Popularity
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