Roman wormwood is a small, aromatic, rhizomatous perennial herb from southeastern Europe, valued for flavoring absinthe and vermouth. It is hardy and tolerant of poor soils, and grows best in a sunny, well-drained spot.
Family
Asteraceae (Daisy family)
Grows as
Perennial
Light
Full sun
Water
Water moderately while establishing, then let the soil dry out between waterings; it tolerates drought once mature.
Soil
Well-drained, lean or sandy soil; avoid heavy, wet clay.
Temperature
Hardy in temperate climates, roughly -20 to 30 °C; protect young plants in very harsh winters.
How easy
Easy
Safety
Mildly toxic: The essential oil contains thujone, which is a neurotoxin in high doses, so the plant should not be consumed in concentrated form.
Native range
EC. Europe to S. Siberia and N. China
Climate
temperate
About
Artemisia pontica, the Roman wormwood or small absinthe, is an herb used in the production of absinthe and vermouth. Originating in southeastern Europe (the specific name refers to the Pontus area on the shores of the Black Sea), it is naturalized over much of Eurasia from France to Xinjiang, and is also found in the wild in northeastern North America.
Artemisia pontica is called "little absinthe" because it is smaller in stature and leaf than the "great absinthe" A. absinthium. It grows as a rhizomatous perennial with erect stems up to 100 centimetres (39 in) tall; the grey foliage is finely divided and aromatic. Flowers are small, yellowish, and appear in loose panicles at stem tips.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Artemisia pontica by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.