How to identify Common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

How to identify Common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

Common mugwort, also known as Wild Wormwood, Naughty Man, Sailor's tobacco, Common wormwood, St. John's plant

Common mugwort is a hardy perennial with a preference for well-drained soils in forest edges and disturbed areas. It flourishes as a dense ground cover with a network of underground rhizomes. The plant features deeply lobed, dark green leaves that are silver-white beneath, creating a striking visual contrast. Stems are typically reddish-brown, supporting small clusters of inconspicuous reddish or yellowish-brown flowers. Mature heights range from 2 to 4 feet (60 to 120 cm) with a similar spread. Common mugwort constitutes a robust presence in its growing regions.

Lifespan: Perennial

Plant Type: Herb

Leaf Type: Deciduous

Quickly Identify Common mugwort

Deeply lobed, dark green leaves with silver-white undersides.

Angular, furrowed reddish-brown stems with minimal hair.

Small compound flowers in panicles, dull yellowish-green to reddish-brown.

Erect or drooping egg-shaped flowers, blooming July to October.

Dry achene fruit for wind dispersion, inconspicuous and small.

Detailed Traits of Common mugwort

Leaf Features

The leaves of common mugwort are distinctively elliptic to ovate, up to 4 inches (10 cm) long and 2.5 inches (6.4 cm) wide. They are deeply lobed, often resembling pinnately or bipinnately compound leaves. Margins may be serrate, and the upper surface is green and sparsely hairy, while the underside is paler, white to grey, and softly hairy. The deeply lobed upper leaves have a more pronounced aroma and texture compared to the lower leaves.

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Flower Features

Flowers of common mugwort are small, measuring about 1/8 inch (3 mm) across. Each flowerhead contains numerous rayless florets with thread-like pistils extending from the center. The flowers are egg-shaped and can be erect or drooping, displaying colors ranging from dull yellowish-green to reddish-brown. These compound flowers form narrow panicles that resemble spike inflorescences. Notably, they bloom from July to October, contributing to their distinctive appearance during these months.

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Stem Features

The stems of common mugwort are notable for their angular and furrowed appearance. They are predominantly a reddish-brown color, lending a distinctive look. These stems are largely hairless, with hairs primarily found on the flowering portions. The stems are typically robust and can reach up to 3 feet (90 cm) in height, providing structural support to the plant. This unique combination of color, texture, and minimal hair makes the stems a key feature for identifying common mugwort.

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Fruit Features

The fruit of common mugwort is a specialized type called an achene, a small, single-seeded vessel that does not open at maturity to release its seed. Typically dry and bearing a light texture, the achene aids in the plant's reproductive process via wind dispersion due to its lightweight nature. This fruit's ability to be carried by breezes helps to ensure the wide distribution of the progeny. While exact measurements may vary, the size of the achene is generally diminutive, making it less conspicuous when compared to fleshy fruits.

Learn About the Fruit Glossary

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Common mugwort and Their Similar Plants

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

Common wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) was the main ingredient in absinthe, a distilled, highly alcoholic beverage, BUT it's technically toxic. It can cause nervous disorders such as headaches, hallucinations, insomnia, convulsions, etc. and is therefore illegal in many countries. Common wormwood may grow like a weed on unmanaged areas, with silvery foliage and small yellow flowers in late summer.

White sagebrush vs. Common mugwort: 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 mugwort: 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 mugwort: 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 mugwort: 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 mugwort: 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 mugwort: 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 mugwort: 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 mugwort

Attributes of Common mugwort

Lifespan

Perennial

Plant Type

Herb

Plant Height

60 cm to 2 m

Spread

90 cm to 1.8 m

Leaf Color

Green

Flower Size

2 cm to 3 cm

Flower Color

Yellow

Green

Brown

Fruit Color

Brown

Copper

Stem Color

Green

Purple

Brown

Leaf type

Deciduous

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Scientific Classification of Common mugwort

Phylum

Vascular plants

Class

Dicotyledons

Order

Asters bellflowers fanflowers and allies

Family

Daisy

Genus

Mugworts

Species

Common mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris)

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Distribution Map of Common mugwort

Common mugwort has a large native range: across Europe and Eurasia and into Indo-China and North Africa. It grows widely in little-used spaces like roadsides and wasteland. It has been introduced into North America, where it is considered an invasive weed.

Native

Cultivated

Invasive

Potentially invasive

Exotic

No species reported

Learn More About the Common mugwort

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