Artemisia vulgaris L.

Common Wormwood; Common Mugwort; Felon Herb

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Common Wormwood is an introduced herbaceous perennial in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). It is native to Eurasia. In Alabama it can be found statewide. Common Wormwood occurs on roadsides, in ditches, along railroad tracks, around old home sites, and in vacant lots. It is a perennial with long, creeping rhizomes that give rise to new stems along their length. Stems are erect, 1-3 feet in height, green to reddish-brown in color, ribbed, and pubescent or glabrous. The stems are branched above the middle with short lateral branches that bear the flower heads. Leaves are basal and cauline. The basal leaves are petiolate and the upper cauline leaves are sessile. The leaves are lanceolate to ovate in outline and pinnately dissected. The shape of the leaves and the amount of dissection varies greatly, even on the same plant. The leaves are glabrous above and dark green in color. The lower surface of the leaf is pubescent and whitish or grayish in color. All parts of the plant have a distinctive odor when crushed. Flower are produced in heads. The heads are arranged in panicles or racemes. The heads contain only disc flowers that are either pistillate or bisexual. The corolla is small and yellowish-red in color. The fruit is an achene. Common Wormwood is extremely variable, possibly as a result of it being introduced multiple times from different areas. It is used as a medicinal plant for pain relief, treatment of fever and as a diuretic agent. It is also commonly used as a vermifuge. Common Wormwood is available from some nurseries. In prefers a well-draining soil in full sun. Plants can spread aggressively from the long creeping rhizomes.--A. Diamond

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Not Native

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