Common Wormwood
Artemisia absinthium
ShrubPlacenta
A silvery, aromatic pioneer shrub that repels pests and colonises rough ground fast. Potent stuff — its roots suppress nearby plants and it's toxic if eaten, so give it its own space.
Tolerances & traits
- Strata
- Shrub
- Lifecycle
- Placenta
- Soil preference
- Sandy, Loam, Rocky
- Soil pH range
- 5.5 – 8
- Min. temperature
- -30°C
- Min. rainfall
- 350 mm/year
- Wind tolerance
- High
- Frost tolerance
- High
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Irrigation needed
- Low
How to manage it
Hardy pioneer shrub and natural pest-repellent; cut back hard each year to keep it dense and stop it going woody and leggy.
Watch out for
Strongly allelopathic - roots and leaves release absinthin, suppressing germination and growth of nearby plants; keep away from seed beds. Toxic if ingested in quantity by humans and livestock.
Design your line to see how your land fits Common Wormwood.
Start designing your line →Related species