Wormwood

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
Also known as: Absinthe Wormwood, Grand Wormwood, Green Ginger

Wormwood is a perennial herb with silvery, finely cut foliage and a long history of use in traditional European medicine and old-world spirits. Best known as the bitter base herb in absinthe, it also plays an important role in digestive health and pest deterrence. With its fragrant, strongly aromatic leaves, wormwood thrives in poor soils and sunny, dry conditions, making it a great choice for herb gardens, permaculture edges, and low-maintenance landscapes.

Key Characteristics

• Traditional Medicinal Use – Leaves & Flowering Tops
  Wormwood is a potent bitter herb traditionally used to stimulate digestion, relieve bloating, and expel intestinal parasites. Its leaves and flowering tops are used in teas and tinctures (in small doses) to promote liver function and appetite. In European folk medicine, it was also used externally for bruises and joint pain.

• Key Ingredient in Spirits & Bitters
  Wormwood is famously known for its historical use in absinthe, as well as in vermouth and herbal liqueurs. Its intensely bitter compounds, especially thujone, are used in trace amounts in herbal aperitifs. Its flavoring role dates back centuries and is still relevant in artisanal cocktail culture and digestive bitters.

• Strong Aromatic for Insect Control
  The pungent scent and bitter compounds in wormwood repel many insect pests, including cabbage moths, flea beetles, and whiteflies. It can be grown near brassicas or used as a border plant to help protect nearby crops. Dried leaves are also used in sachets or hung in barns to repel flies and fleas.

• Tough Landscape Plant for Dry Areas
  Wormwood excels in dry, rocky, or poor soils where little else thrives. It is ideal for xeriscapes, herb spirals, sunny borders, and permaculture systems where pest resistance and low inputs are priorities. Its silvery foliage adds contrast and texture to planting designs and remains attractive even in drought.

Product Details

• Native range: Temperate Europe and Asia

• Plant life cycle: Perennial

• Sun requirements: Full sun

• Soil requirements: Dry to medium, well-drained

• Mature height: 2–4 feet

• Bloom time: July to September

• Bloom color: Pale yellow, small and nodding

• USDA Hardiness zones: 4–9

Wormwood is a bold, aromatic herb with centuries of use in herbal medicine and traditional spirits. Ideal for dry gardens and herbalists alike, it brings beauty, resilience, and deep-rooted usefulness.