Artemisia vulgaris: Uses (Ethnobotany)
A long history of use in herbal medicine. Leaf aroma helps repel insects.
Plant Profile: Artemisia vulgaris
Taxonomy: Artemisia vulgarisNames
Felon Herb, Mugwort, Riverside Wormwood, Wild Wormwood
Phonetic Spelling:ar-tem-EE-zee-ah vul-GAIR-iss
Genus:Artemisia
Species:vulgaris
Family:Asteraceae
Mugwort, a persistent weed belonging to the daisy family, thrives in loamy or sandy soils found in wooded regions, coastal areas, and along roadways. However, it cannot endure poorly drained, wet soils. This plant propagates through rhizomes, often creating thick mats. In numerous states, it has been classified as an invasive species.
For further details on Artemisia, please refer to additional resources.
Artemisia vulgaris Feature Summary
Artemisia vulgaris Image Gallery
Tags
#weed
#weedy
#spreading
#rhizomes
#non-native
#perennial weed
Similar Plants
Artemisia vulgaris Feature Summary
Attributes
A long history of use in herbal medicine. Leaf aroma helps repel insects.
Eurasia, Alaska
Eastern and central USA, NW USA and Canada
Perennial
Seed
Root Cutting
Fruit
Achene is small and lightweight and is blown by the wind.
Achene
Brown/Copper
Flowers
Each flowerhead is 1/8" across or a little larger and consists of numerous rayless florets with thread-like pistils extending out from the center. They are egg-shaped and erect to drooping. Color is dull yellowish-green to reddish-brown. Blooms July-October.
Purple/Lavender
Gold/Yellow
Green
Insignificant
Panicle
Summer
Fall
Bracts
Tubular
< 1 inch
Leaves
Basal leaves are elliptic, oblong, and deeply lobed. The leaves mid stem are elliptic to ovate, Up to 4 inches long and 2.5 inches wide and lobed pinnately or bipinnately. Leaf margins may be serrate. Undersides are paler with hairs.
Deciduous
Green
Simple
Alternate
Elliptical
Oblong
Lobed
Serrate
1-3 inches
Fragrant
1-3 inches
Stem
The purple-brown stems are largely hairless except on the flowering stems. They are angular and furrowed.
Brown/Copper
Purple/Lavender
Angular
Hairy (pubescent)
Whole Plant Traits
Perennial
Weed
Deciduous
Multi-stemmed
Erect
Rapid
High
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Good Drainage
Occasionally Dry
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
3a
3b
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Landscape
Drought
Deer
Rabbits
Dry Soil
Weedy
Contact Dermatitis
Artemisia vulgaris Image Gallery
Artemisia vulgaris Attributes
Artemisia vulgaris: Country Or Region Of Origin
Eurasia, Alaska
Artemisia vulgaris: Distribution
Eastern and central USA, NW USA and Canada
Artemisia vulgaris: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Artemisia vulgaris: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Artemisia vulgaris Fruit
Artemisia vulgaris: Fruit Description
Achene is small and lightweight and is blown by the wind.
Artemisia vulgaris: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Artemisia vulgaris: Fruit Color
Brown/Copper
Artemisia vulgaris: Display/Harvest Time
Fall
Spring
Summer
Winter
Artemisia vulgaris Flowers
Artemisia vulgaris: Flower Description
Each flowerhead is 1/8" across or a little larger and consists of numerous rayless florets with thread-like pistils extending out from the center. They are egg-shaped and erect to drooping. Color is dull yellowish-green to reddish-brown. Blooms July-October.
Artemisia vulgaris: Flower Color
Gold/Yellow
Green
Purple/Lavender
Artemisia vulgaris: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Artemisia vulgaris: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Artemisia vulgaris: Flower Petals
2-3 rays/petals
4-5 petals/rays
6 petals/rays
7 - 20 petals/rays
asymmetrical petals
Bracts
Colored Sepals
fused petals
more than 20 petals/rays
Tepals
Artemisia vulgaris: Flower Shape
Bell
Cross
Crown
Cup
Dome
Funnel
Irregular
Lipped
Radial
Saucer
Star
Trumpet
Tubular
Urn
Wheel
Artemisia vulgaris: Flower Size
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
< 1 inch
> 6 inches
Artemisia vulgaris Leaves
Artemisia vulgaris: Leaf Description
Basal leaves are elliptic, oblong, and deeply lobed. The leaves mid stem are elliptic to ovate, Up to 4 inches long and 2.5 inches wide and lobed pinnately or bipinnately. Leaf margins may be serrate. Undersides are paler with hairs.
Artemisia vulgaris: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Artemisia vulgaris: Leaf Color
Green
Artemisia vulgaris: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Artemisia vulgaris: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Artemisia vulgaris: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Artemisia vulgaris: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Artemisia vulgaris: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Artemisia vulgaris: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Artemisia vulgaris: Leaf Value To Gardener
Edible
Fragrant
Good Cut
Good Dried
Long-lasting
Showy
Artemisia vulgaris: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Artemisia vulgaris Stem
Artemisia vulgaris: Stem Description
The purple-brown stems are largely hairless except on the flowering stems. They are angular and furrowed.
Artemisia vulgaris: Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Purple/Lavender
Artemisia vulgaris: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Artemisia vulgaris: Stem Cross Section
Angular
Oval
Round
Square
Artemisia vulgaris: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Artemisia vulgaris Whole Plant Traits
Artemisia vulgaris: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Artemisia vulgaris: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Artemisia vulgaris: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Artemisia vulgaris: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Artemisia vulgaris: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Artemisia vulgaris Cultural Conditions
Artemisia vulgaris: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Artemisia vulgaris: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Artemisia vulgaris: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Artemisia vulgaris: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
3a
3b
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
Artemisia vulgaris: Soil Texture
Clay
High Organic Matter
Loam (Silt)
Sand
Shallow Rocky
Artemisia vulgaris Landscape
Artemisia vulgaris: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Artemisia vulgaris: Problems
Allelopathic
Contact Dermatitis
Frequent Disease Problems
Frequent Insect Problems
Invasive Species
Malodorous
Messy
Poisonous to Humans
Problem for Cats
Problem for Children
Problem for Dogs
Problem for Horses
Short-lived
Spines/Thorns
Weak Wood
Weedy
