How to identify Common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

How to identify Common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

Common wormwood, also known as Absinthe, Grand wormwood

Common wormwood displays a soft, silvery-gray foliage that provides a unique texture to gardens. The leaves are intricately divided, giving them a feathery appearance. This herbaceous perennial often reaches heights of up to 3 feet (~91 cm) and spreads to approximately 2 feet (~60 cm) wide. Tiny, yellowish-green flowers may appear in spherical clusters, adding a subtle contrast to the striking leaves. The plant's overall bushy shape and striking leaf color make it a stand-out in rock gardens and borders.

Lifespan: Perennial

Plant Type: Herb

Leaf Type: Deciduous

Quickly Identify Common wormwood

Feathery silvery-gray foliage distinguishes common wormwood with a soft texture.

Tiny yellowish-green flowers in spherical clusters provide subtle contrast.

Distinct grey-green stem may be smooth or slightly hairy.

Leaves are ovate, finely divided, with silvery hairs emitting sage-like scent.

Fruit is a small, narrow cylindrical cypsela in muted brown tones.

Detailed Traits of Common wormwood

Leaf Features

The leaves of common wormwood are silvery-green and alternate, with a broadly ovate shape. They are finely divided into blunt, narrow, pinnatifid segments. Typically, the leaves measure 1-3 inches (2.5-7.6 cm) in length and 0.5-1.5 inches (1.3-3.8 cm) in width. Basal leaves are larger and more deeply lobed, whereas upper leaves are smaller and simpler. Both sides of the leaves are covered with silvery hairs, giving them a soft, gray appearance. The leaves emit a sage-like, but often unpleasant scent when crushed.

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Flower Features

The flowers of common wormwood are small, drooping heads of greenish-yellow florets. The panicles range from 4-8 inches (10-20 cm) in length and 4-5 inches (10-12.5 cm) in width. Individual florets are only 1-2 mm in size. Marginal florets have only pistils, while central flowers have both pistils and stamens. Blooming from late summer to early fall, the flowers appear for about 2-3 weeks, providing a distinctive seasonal marker.

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Stem Features

The stem of common wormwood is characterized by distinctive grey-green coloration, with a surface that can be either smooth or adorned with small, downy hairs. As it matures, the lower portions, particularly around the base and stem intersections, may exhibit a slight woody texture. Typically, stems of common wormwood are slender and may vary in thickness, usually around 0.25 inches (0.6 cm) in diameter. The branching pattern often displays an alternate arrangement, facilitating identification for enthusiasts.

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Fruit Features

The fruit of common wormwood is a type of achene known as a cypsela, which is distinguished by its small, narrow cylindrical shape. This botanic produce measures only a few millimeters in length and is subtle in appearance. The fruits exhibit a slightly rounded top while the base is more tapered, giving it a slightly cone-like silhouette. Their texture and color, typically a muted brown palette, blend seamlessly with the surrounding foliage. A key characteristic for identification is the fruit's almost perfect cylindrical form that sets it apart from other species' fruits.

Learn About the Fruit Glossary

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Common wormwood and Their Similar Plants

Common mugwort vs. Common wormwood: What's The Difference?

Common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is an herbaceous plant often found in nitrogen-rich soils. The plant's scent is reportedly a mild insect repellant. Common mugwort is used as an offering in Nepalese temples. Tradition holds that it has cleansing properties, so believers also use it to sweep their floors to give them both a spiritual and physical cleaning.

White sagebrush vs. Common wormwood: What's The Difference?

White sagebrush (*Artemisia ludoviciana*) is a plant native to the United States. The genus name "*Artemisia*" refers to Artemis, a Greek goddess that the Romans called Diana. She was the Moon Goddess and patron deity of hunters. The species name "*ludoviciana*" refers to the state of Louisiana. This plant is also called "Mugwort" and "Cudweed."

Tarragon vs. Common wormwood: What's The Difference?

Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus) is a herb found widely across the Eurasian and North American continents. Tarragon has hints of anise in its fragrance. It is most well known as a culinary herb, especially in French cuisine. It is also used as a popular soda flavoring in eastern Asia. Curiously, the French cultivar with the strongest flavor is sterile, making it much harder to propagate than the other popular variants.

California sagebrush vs. Common wormwood: What's The Difference?

California sagebrush is an evergreen perennial shrub that thrives in poor, well-draining soils. Grown for its silvery foliage, it can grow up to 91 cm tall and prefers higher, drier elevations. Flowers appear yellowish to red.

Tree wormwood vs. Common wormwood: What's The Difference?

Tree wormwood (Artemisia arborescens) is a flowering evergreen perennial that is native to the Mediterranean. In late spring it produces yellow, daisy-like flowers. Tree wormwood has been cultivated for its use in essential oils and perfumes and it has earned the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Hoary mugwort vs. Common wormwood: What's The Difference?

The Artemisia stelleriana can largely be found in China, Japan, Korea and Russia. It has pale-green to white leaves that give the plant a silver or whitish appearance. That's why it's also known as the hoary mugwort. This herbaceous perennial plant is harvested from the wild to flavor rice.

Southernwood vs. Common wormwood: What's The Difference?

Southernwood has a strong camphor-like odour and was historically used as an air freshener or strewing herb. It forms a small bushy shrub, which is widely cultivated by gardeners. The grey-green leaves are small, narrow and feathery. The small flowers are yellow. It can easily be propagated by cuttings, or by division of the roots.

White sagebrush 'Valerie Finnis' vs. Common wormwood: What's The Difference?

White sagebrush 'Valerie Finnis' is a popular cultivar of the White sage (Artemisia ludoviciana) selected to have sharply cut silvery-gray leaves. The cultivar was named in the honor of Valerie Finnis, a British photographer and gardener. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

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Key Facts About Common wormwood

Attributes of Common wormwood

Lifespan

Perennial

Plant Type

Herb

Plant Height

30 cm to 1.2 m

Spread

75 cm

Stem Color

Silver

Gray

Green

Leaf type

Deciduous

The Toxicity of Common wormwood

Slightly Toxic to Humans

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Scientific Classification of Common wormwood

Phylum

Vascular plants

Class

Dicotyledons

Order

Asters bellflowers fanflowers and allies

Family

Daisy

Genus

Mugworts

Species

Common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

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Distribution Map of Common wormwood

Common wormwood is native to the temperate regions of Eurasia and has a notable presence across the continent's grasslands and rocky sites. It has been introduced and become established in disparate areas including parts of South America, Central America, Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Pacific. Common wormwood is also cultivated beyond its native range.

Native

Cultivated

Invasive

Potentially invasive

Exotic

No species reported

Learn More About the Common wormwood

A Comprehensive Guide to Common wormwood How to Grow and Care for Common wormwood