About
Artemisia absinthium is a perennial plant that grows upright and loses its leaves in winter. It features finely dissected, fragrant grey-green leaves and produces small, inconspicuous yellowish flowers during late summer. This species is known for its medicinal properties and is the key ingredient in the production of absinthe, a well-known alcoholic beverage.
About the genus
Artemisia includes a variety of plants such as shrubs, perennials, and annuals, which can be either evergreen or deciduous. The leaves are typically gray, aromatic, and often have a divided appearance. The flower heads tend to be inconspicuous.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing, West-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H6
Plant details
- Plant type
- Herbaceous Perennial, Herbs - Culinary
- Habit
- Bushy
- Foliage
- Deciduous
- Height
- 0.5-1 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 2-5 years
- Suggested uses
- Mediterranean climate plants, Cottage and informal garden
- Native to
- Europe, Asia, N Africa
- Fragrance
- Foliage
Care notes
- Cultivation
- Grow in fertile well-drained soil in sun. Can die back in heavy, poorly-drained soil
- Pruning
- Pruning Group 7 Cut back to the lowest, new shoots near the base in mid to late spring
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed in containers in a cold frame in autumn or spring. Root stem tips or heeled sideshoots as greenwood cuttings in early summer.
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to aphids and a gall midge
- Disease resistance
- May be susceptible to honey fungus