Artemisia pontica

RHS Plant Profile
Roman wormwood

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Roman wormwood RHS 1999
Roman wormwood RHS

Other common names

lady's needle, old warrior, small absinth

Herbaceous Perennial
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A vigorous herbaceous perennial making a spreading clump of upright stems to 75cm, clad in dissected, grey-green, highly aromatic leaves, with small greyish-yellow flowerheads in panicles at the tips of the stems

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Chalk, Loam, Sand

Max Height

0.5-1 metres

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres
Max Height
0.5-1 metres

Growing Conditions

Chalk Loam Sand
Moisture
Well–drained
pH
Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H7

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Foliage
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Asteraceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Suckering
Genus
Artemisia can be shrubs, perennials or annuals, evergreen or deciduous, with usually grey, aromatic, often divided foliage and rather insignificant flower-heads
Name Status
Correct
Plant Range
CE Europe

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in fertile well-drained soil in sun. Can die back in heavy, poorly-drained soil

Propagation

Propagate by seed in containers in a cold frame in autumn or spring; divide in spring or in autumn; take stem-tips as greenwood cuttings in late summer

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Coastal
  • Cottage and informal garden
  • City and courtyard gardens
  • Gravel garden
  • Flower borders and beds
  • Ground cover

Pruning

Can be cut to the base in autumn

Pests

Generally pest-free

Diseases

May be susceptible to honey fungus