Artemisia 'Powis Castle' Wormwood

Royal Horticultural Society Award of Garden Merit

Artemisia 'Powis Castle' Wormwood is a shrublike herbaceous (evergreen in warm climates) perennial grown for its fragrant feathery foliage. This award-winning plant has fernlike silvery white leaves that add soft texture and color to the garden. It grows in an upright, bushy mound that spreads by rhizomes and blooms (rarely) in inconspicuous yellow flowers in late summer or early fall, which are usually cut off to keep the foliage looking its best.

Likely a hybrid between Artemisia arborescens and Artemisia absinthium, 'Powis Castle' has a mounded, spreading habit. It makes a lovely specimen but is shown to best effect when grouped or massed in beds and borders with perennial flowers and is especially nice in rock gardens, xeriscapes, and urban locations.

Easy to grow, wormwood grows best in sunny locations with poor to moderately fertile, dry to medium moist, well-draining soil. The plant is tolerant of drought but intolerant of wet soils. Deer and rabbits leave it alone.

A native plant, wormwood is indigenous to North America. Native plants are not only beautiful but also environmentally friendly. Naturally adapted to the climate and soil conditions of the region, they thrive without fertilizers or extra watering, once established. They also act as natural pest controls, reducing the need for pesticides in the garden. Landscaping with native plants promotes biodiversity and provides shelter and quality food for wildlife and pollinators, bringing gardens to life.