Guide to growing Artemisia Wormwood
Plants that form the Artemisia species group can be hardy annuals, hardy perennials or half-hardy perennials. Some of the common plants that make up the genus include Wormwood, Tarragon, Estragon, Mugwort, Ghostplant, Southernwood and Summer Fir. These sub shrubs have been commonly used for medicianal purposes; with wormwood famed for its hallucinatory properties that have inspired many an artist over the year when drank in the form of absinthe.
Description of Wormwood - Tarragon - Artemisia
Artemisia plants such as wormwood and Tarragon are mainly sub shrub perrenials in nature and are grown for their strongly scented foliage and for their chemical properties. Leaves are usually grey or green and often feathery in nature. they can grow from 30 cm to 2 metres in height; they can therefore be used as positional plants in a border, where they can contrast nicely with flowers from other species.
How to grow Wormwood - Tarragon - Artemisia
The annual varieties of Artemisia can be sown outside in either spring or autumn, whereas it is best to sow out perennial species in the autumn. When sowing seeds outdoors they should be sown in flats, sunk in the ground, north faced and under cover of glass. The soil should be kept moist; the glass cover can be removed once the seeds have germinated. germination normally takes from between two to eight weeks.
If you intend to plant out seedlings (Tarragon should not be sown as seed, but bought as a young plantlet) then they should be grown in well drained soils at a pH of 5.5 to 7. The seedlings should be put out after the last frost and planted from 30cm (small species) to 60cm apart (larger species).
Caring for Wormwood and Tarragon
Plants such as wormwood and other Artemisia species are pretty easy to look after. Fertiliser should be applied in the early spring, and mulch applied in the late autumn. Every four years or so the plants should be divided. Leaves can be harvested for culinary/medicinal use at any time. The leaves of tarragon for example, should be prepared by drying, hanging in a dark place, and then crushing the dried leaves.