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Artemisia abrotanum

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Characteristics

Plant type

Herbs - Culinary or Herbaceous Perennial

Habit

Bushy

Fragrance

Leaf

Resilience

Hardiness

old H4 (hardy)

Colour

Flower

Yellow in Summer

Foliage

Green and Grey/Silver in Autumn, Spring and Summer

Size

Ultimate height

0.5-1 metres

Ultimate spread

0.5-1 metres

Time to ultimate height

5-10 years

Preferred common name

southernwood

Family

Asteraceae

Artemisia can be shrubs, perennials or annuals, evergreen or deciduous, with usually grey, aromatic, often divided foliage and rather insignificant flower-heads

A. abrotanum is an erect sub-shrub to 1m, with very finely divided, pleasantly aromatic grey-green leaves, and small, nodding, dull yellow flowerheads in late summer

Other common names

boy's love
lad's love
maiden's ruin
maid's love
maid's passion
medicinal wormwood
old man
Sabbath day posy
slovenwood
sweet Benjamin
tall wormwood

Synonym(s)

Artemisia paniculata
Artemisia procera Willd.

Suppliers

Suppliers listed in RHS Plant Finder

How to grow

Sunlight

Full sun
Part shade

Aspect

South-facing, West-facing or East-facing

Exposed or Sheltered

Cultivation

Grow in a well-drained soil in full sun or light shade

Soil

Well-drained

Acid, Alkaline or Neutral

Chalk, Loam, Sand or Clay

Propagation

Propagate by seed or semi-hardwood cuttings in late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

Drought Resistant, Cottage/Informal Garden, Flower borders and beds or Low Maintenance

How to care

Pruning

Cut back in autumn

Pests

Generally pest free

Diseases

Resistant to disease

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