Artemesia

Wiccans believe that the plant enhances psychic abilities.

The Ojibwa tribe of Native Americans used it in religious ceremonies.

The liqueur vermouth is a fortified wine originally flavored with it. In fact, the word vermouth means wormwood in German. In France and elsewhere, one species, tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), is a food seasoning.

Although it may have some psychedelic properties (unproven), it is a beautiful and aromatic appointment to any garden. Wormwood also makes a beautiful plant in a moon garden.

An Ancient Shrub

Artemisia is an ancient shrub and a member of the aster family. It is found almost everywhere on the planet and the genus is known collectively as wormwood, mugwort and sagewort. While there are over 300 species of artemisia, one native species, Prairie sage (Artemisia ludoviciana) has colonized most of North America.

Prairie sage is a perennial shrub growing one to three feet tall. The flowers are small and yellow, and appear in mid-to-late summer and early fall. Although attractive, they are not what gardeners find most interesting. Instead, it is the aromatic grayish-green (tinged with white) foliage and the aromatic scent.

In the wild, prairie sage loves shallow, mesic soils, (for example, in the American southwest), and found growing in piney woods, prairies and dry slopes.

Prairie sage loves dry, well-drained, and less fertile soil and will become leggy on soil too wet and fertile. It also does better in sunny places. In areas of higher rainfall, the plant will do better in raised beds with very little, irregular irrigation (if any) in times of drought. It has a taproot which can find and draw water.

Propagation

Prairie sage spreads very quickly, and propagates vegetatively or by seed. The tiny seeds disperse by wind, gravity and water. The pollen can cause hay fever.

Gardeners can propagate the plant by dividing the rhizomes (in spring) or by planting seeds. Plant division is another method of growing more plants.

Prairie sage is also a host to the larvae of the Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa cardui).

Artemisia in Canada

In Canada, one can find it in Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Northwest Territories, Ontario, Prince Edward Island, Quebec and Saskatchewan.

In Mexico

In Mexico, it has colonized the states of Baja California Norte, Chihuahua and Sonora.

In The U.S.

It has colonized every state in the contiguous U.S. except Delaware. It is also quite rare in Michigan for some reason. The plant is available commercially at many nurseries, although the seeds are more difficult to find.

While Prairie sage may exist in Alaska as an introduced plant, several other Artemisia species are native to that state.

You may be interested in these related articles:

1. Top Drought Tolerant Shrubs
2. Herb Gardening for Beginners
3. Deer-Resistant Plants