Description of the wormwood plant, how to plant and care in a personal plot, how to reproduce, possible problems during cultivation and how to solve them, gardeners to note, species and varieties.
Wormwood (Artemisia) belongs to a rather extensive genus, part of the Asteraceae family, which is often called Compositae. In nature, the territory of distribution of this representative of the flora is quite extensive - it includes all the lands of the northern hemisphere, regions with a temperate climate in Eurasia, the northern and southern regions of the African continent and North America. In total, according to The Plant List, there are 481 species in the genus. In Russia itself and the countries bordering it, you can count up to 180 varieties of wormwood, while they grow everywhere. It is not uncommon for this plant to grow in the steppe and desert regions, both in Kazakhstan and the Transcaucasus, and Ukraine.
| Family membership | Astral or Compositae |
| Vegetation time | Perennials |
| Accepted form | Herbaceous or semi-shrub |
| Breeding methods | Seed or vegetative (by dividing the bush, cuttings) |
| Dates of planting in open ground | May to July |
| Planting recommendations | A step of 10-15 cm is left between the seedlings, the row spacing will be 15-20 cm |
| Substrate | Any poor, light and dry, sandy will do |
| Soil acidity index, pH | 6, 5-7 (neutral) |
| Lighting level | Sunny and open place, occasionally partial shade |
| Moisture indicators | Drought tolerant |
| Special rules for growing | Do not use fertilizers |
| Height indicators | 0.3–2 m |
| Inflorescence shape or type of flowers | Spherical, ovate or cupped basket inflorescences of tubular flowers, gathering in brushes, ears or panicles |
| Flower color | Yellow or reddish |
| Flowering time | June to August |
| Decorative period | Spring-autumn |
| Fruit type | Elongated smooth achenes without tuft |
| The timing of fruit ripening | Aug. Sept |
| Application in landscape design | Flower gardens, mixborders, as a curb plant or for the formation of hedges, on medicinal beds |
| USDA zone | 4–6 |
The plant got its scientific name in Latin thanks to the Greek word “artemisia” associated with the term “artemns”, which translates as “healthy”. But according to another version, the name is rooted in the name of the virgin goddess, patroness of hunting and fertility - Artemis. But among the people in Latin this representative of the flora was also called "absinthium", which went not only to ancient Greek, but also to Persian roots, and this only referred to the species of Artemisia absinthium. You can often hear such nicknames as "emshan" or "evshan" (as the Turkmen call the wormwood), and also in our lands because of the shape of the foliage, there are names - dill tree or divine tree.
All varieties have a multi-year growing cycle, but there are species with a two-year or even one-year growing period. They take both herbaceous and semi-shrub forms. In this case, the height of the shoots can vary in the range of 20-200 cm. The root of the wormwood is thickened and woody. The stems usually grow straight. All kinds of surfaces (stems or leaves) are characterized by pubescence of a whitish or gray color. Such a coating can be felt or silver, it then serves as protection from the scorching sun rays. But there are species that have a rich dark green color of foliage and shoots.
Leaf blades often have a pinnate or spatulate outline. The leaves are located on the stems in the next order. The leaf plate is dissected, but in rare cases it is solid or whole-edged. If there is a separation, then the leaf lobes are characterized by small and thin contours. In the lower part of the stems, the foliage is large in size, with elongated petioles, but the leaves in the central part and at the top are already smaller, their dissection is not so strong and they are often devoid of petioles.
When blooming, wormwood reveals rather small flowers, which are usually characterized by a yellow color of the petals, but it happens that there is also a red tint. From the buds, small capitate inflorescences are collected, which have a spherical, ovoid or cupped shape. Inflorescences are represented by baskets, reaching 1–10 mm in diameter. At the same time, it is surrounded by wrapper leaves arranged in the form of tiles. Inflorescences are formed by tubular flowers of both sexes. The marginal flowers have threadlike outlines, they are unisexual and pistillate.
Elongated brushes, spikelets or panicles are collected from inflorescences. There are varieties in which the inflorescences are formed by a single row of marginal flowers of a tubular nature, and a large number of bisexual flowers are located on the disc (for example, the subgenus Artemisia). Other species are characterized by disc staminate flowers (such as in the subgenus Draclinculus) or completely all flowers are tubular and bisexual (as in the subgenus Seriphidium). However, since flowering is not the main advantage of the dill tree, the inflorescences are removed so that they do not take away the strength from the plant.
After pollination occurs through the wind, the wormwood begins to ripen the fruits, which have the appearance of achenes with a smooth surface. The size of the achenes is small, they do not have a tuft.
A plant such as a god tree can be used as an ornamental and medicinal. Since it is characterized by endurance and ease of maintenance, a gardener who does not have sufficient experience can easily cope with planting and cultivating it.
Rules for planting wormwood and caring for it when grown in the open field
- Landing place it is recommended to pick it up in a well-lit and open location, since in nature it is such wastelands that attract the dill tree. In rare cases, light partial shade may also work.
- Priming for wormwood, it should also be selected taking into account its natural preferences. The substrate should be lean and dry, with a sandy and well-drained soil mixture being the best choice. If there are a lot of nutrients or humus in it, then development will slow down and the bushes will fall.
- Landing wormwood should be carried out in the period from the beginning of May, so that return frosts are bypassed. When planting, it is worth digging a hole a little more than the root system, since the latter tends to grow. Since dry and loose soil is preferable, a layer of river sand is laid on the bottom of the pit when landing. If planting is carried out in rows or using the square-nesting method, then the distance between the strips of seedlings is left 50-60 cm, and the row spacing is then left about 25-30 cm. For a square-nested planting, the required feeding area should be maintained in the range of 50-60x50-60 cm.
- Watering when caring for wormwood is not too important a requirement, since the plant is characterized by drought resistance. If the weather is cold, then excess moisture in the soil can even cause the death of the dill tree.
- Pruning when leaving behind the wormwood is needed to maintain the desired shape and compact size of the bushes. Every year, plants should be rejuvenated by cutting off their too elongated stems. God's tree responds very well to pruning. The procedure for removing peduncles for low-growing varieties will serve to highlight the decorative features of the foliage.
- Fertilizers when growing a divine tree, it makes no sense to apply, since in nature the plant is located on very poor soil. In addition, if the soil contains a lot of nutrients, then the stems will begin to lodge.
- Harvesting wormwood. Since the plant is used for the manufacture of medicines, you should also know the rules for collecting raw materials. The foliage is cut off before or at the very beginning of flowering, and a little later it comes to the tops of the stems with leaves. The procurement is carried out in two stages. Before flowering and during budding, leaf plates are collected in the root zone without petioles. The tops of the stems are cut so that their length is 20–25 cm. If you are late in these terms, the foliage will have less value. When the collection is carried out later, the flowers turn brown and are no longer suitable for harvesting. In order for the collected raw materials to retain their green color, it must be quickly dried in the shade in places with good ventilation (in the attic, under a canopy), while it is important to often turn over the layer spread on a clean cloth. You can also use dryers, maintaining a temperature of 40-50 degrees, the layer of raw materials in this case should be 3-5 cm. Frequent overturns are also needed. The signal that drying is complete is that the stems break easily. Then all the dried material is folded into bags of dense fabric or placed in wooden containers. The shelf life is no more than two years.
- The use of wormwood in landscape design. Due to the fact that there are plants in the genus with different shoot heights, they can be used for a wide variety of ideas. Dwarf species look great framed by flower beds and borders. They look good between stones in rockeries, rock gardens or between other representatives of the flora. The silvery leaves of wormwood serve as an excellent backdrop for plants with bright colors, such as roses. Since the dill tree is a medicinal and spicy crop, it will look great in a fragrant garden next to sage and thyme, as well as narrow-leaved lavender.
Since the scent of the god tree is an insect repeller, it is recommended to have such plantings near latrines on the site or cesspools. Because of this, such bushes should not be planted next to vegetables.
Read more about growing ageratum
How to reproduce wormwood?
Usually, it is recommended to use the vegetative method for propagation of the dill tree - dividing the bush, cutting and rooting segments of roots and seed.
- Propagation of wormwood by seeds. This method is pretty easy. Suitable for sowing both spring and autumn. You can grow seedlings or immediately sow seed material with the arrival of April or in the first week of May on the garden bed, creating greenhouse conditions. The soil should be loose and light, but not too fertile, so that the topsoil exceeds 20–40 cm. When planting directly into the soil, the row spacing is maintained at 15–20 cm. The grooves form a shallow depth. The seeds are placed in them, but not sealed, or it is recommended to sprinkle them with a layer of substrate no more than 0.5 cm. After 2-3 weeks, you can see the seedlings and start thinning them, so that the distance between the remaining specimens is 10-15 cm. When spring of next year will come, then in the period of April-May, you can transplant seedlings to a permanent place in the garden throughout the summer months until the beginning of autumn. When the plants have completely taken root, it is recommended to water them with a solution infused with chicken droppings. Usually the seed method is used for annual species.
- Propagation of wormwood by cuttings. The best time for this is the period from May to July. In this case, you can get numerous seedlings as a planting stock. For workpieces, it is recommended to cut the tops of shoots 10-15 cm long and plant them in a sandy soil mixture, middle with humus (proportions are equal). To avoid confusion during planting, it is best to make the lower cut of the workpiece obliquely. Planting is carried out in a container approximately 25-30 cm deep or in a greenhouse. Planting depth should be 3–4 cm with a distance of about 5–8 cm between cuttings. At the end of planting, abundant watering and shelter are needed. For this, glass or plastic containers, as well as frames, are used. It is also worth taking care of shading with matting or mats. Rooting occurs in about 10-15 days, and then they are engaged in transplanting seedlings to a permanent place in the garden, or you need to wait for the next growing season.
- Reproduction of wormwood by dividing the bush is also not difficult. The time for manipulation is selected in the spring and summer. Then the plant is removed from the soil and its root system is divided into parts. After that, you need to plant the cuttings in a prepared place and water abundantly.
See also recommendations for the reproduction of the helipterum.
Difficulties in growing wormwood
Dill bushes are not affected by pests, and the plant itself serves to protect the garden or vegetable garden from them. For this, an infusion is prepared from the leafy part or the leaves of wormwood themselves. After the shoots of the plant are finely chopped, they are poured into a 20-liter bucket of water and placed in a sunny place, closing the container with a lid. After 7-14 days (this directly depends on the weather, since you need a bright sun) the infusion is filtered through a fine sieve and poured into plastic bottles. Store this solution cool and dark. Spraying with this remedy for late blight helps, as well as powdery mildew and other diseases of fungal origin.
The same remedy will be of great help in the fight against pests of the garden or vegetable garden - aphids, caterpillars and other insects.
If the wormwood bushes began to run, then the planting site was chosen incorrectly, or rather the soil, since if the composition is fertile, then it is not suitable for the plant. Stagnation of moisture in the soil also negatively affects the god tree. Bushes tend to grow very strongly, so you should think in advance about limiting the root system. For this, planting is carried out in containers or a curb tape is used, which is dug into the substrate to a depth of more than 20 cm.
Read also about the possible difficulties in growing anacyclus
Interesting facts about the wormwood plant
People have known about such a plant as the dill tree for a long time, especially about its medicinal and household properties. If we talk about the first application, then we often mean a variety of wormwood (Artemisia cina) and bitter wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). These plants are used for the manufacture of drugs recommended for the treatment of gastric diseases. In the past, wormwood tincture was a popular permanent antihelminthic agent. If it was necessary to stimulate appetite, then decoctions, tinctures and extracts were prepared from the foliage, as well as the tops of the branches with foliage and flowers. In general, there are a lot of spheres of influence on the human body of agents made on the basis of dill tree. These include diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, nervous (for example, insomnia), respiratory tract (influenza, bronchitis or asthma), inflammatory (such as rheumatism). Such remedies will help cleanse the skin and heal wounds, relieve pain symptoms and eliminate allergies.
Important
There are contraindications for the use of wormwood for women carrying a child. The main thing is also not to violate the dosage established by the attending physician due to the toxicity of the drugs.
This type of wormwood as tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus), also called tarragon, is known as a spicy culture, and it is used in the preparation of drinks, aromatic teas for appetite. The extract from the divine tree has long been used in strong alcoholic products such as absinthe or, weaker - wines such as vermouth.
Wormwood did not ignore the sphere of perfumery and cosmetology, where essential oil was used. This substance is obtained by tincture with alcohol or hydrodistillation is used. But most of all, the species of lemon wormwood (Artemisia abrotanum) and tauric wormwood (Artemisia taurica) are valued in this matter.
Since most insects generally do not tolerate the aroma of wormwood (for example, fleas, cockroaches, moths and others), not only freshly picked leaves can be used to scare away, but also decoctions can be prepared on them. Also planting wormwood is used as a fodder crop for livestock, so that appetite is stimulated, but if the amount eaten is high, then the butter and milk will have an unpleasant taste and smell.
Many species of this genus are grown as an ornamental crop, but also because of the branched root system, plants are used to strengthen sandy soil - Djungarian wormwood (Artemisia songarica) and sandy (Artemisia arenaria).
Even in ancient times, the aerial part of the dill tree was used to dye fabric in different shades of green.
Types and varieties of wormwood
Steller's wormwood (Artemisia stelleriana)
- mainly growing in rocky terrain, preferring dunes and river estuaries. It has the shape of a rambling shrub, the shoots of which are extended to a height of 30–40 cm. The stems reach their maximum sizes during the flowering period. Prefers to grow on sandy substrates. The foliage is so silvery that it appears white. The shape of the leaf plate is wide, shovel-like, but the total deciduous mass resembles ancient lace.
During flowering, yellow basket inflorescences are formed, composed of small flowers. Flowering occurs in mid-summer. However, it is recommended to cut the flowering stems, since they can, by closing, deprive the foliage of decorativeness.
Each year, it is necessary to rejuvenate it by dividing it or carefully huddle it to maintain the braided shape of the bush. Although the plant is characterized by winter hardiness, it happens that its stems freeze slightly. The natural habitat is in the Japanese and Far Eastern lands, as well as Alaska and Norway. It can also be found in the North American territories.
In gardens, it is recommended to plant such plants on retaining walls and rocky soil, gravel or rock gardens. Nearby, plantings of sedum and clary sage, carnations and creeping gypsophila will look good. The variety is very famous Moris Form characterized by foliage with a sheen of metal.
Wormwood Schmidt (Artemisia schmidtiana)
has compact size and bushy shape. The territory of natural growth falls on the lands of the Far East. Recommended for border planting, edging of flower beds and flower beds, with the help of such bushes it is possible to form cushion-shaped rugs, grows well in stone gardens and rockeries. The flowering process occurs in July-August. If the winter is very snowy, then the leaf plates may suffer, but at the same time, with the arrival of spring, they grow again. Regrowth, which takes place in spring, is carried out by means of young root suckers. Among gardeners, the following varieties are recognized as the best:
- Nana with bushy outlines and a shoot height of about 20-25 cm, the leaf plates have a narrow shape and grow very densely.
- Powus Castle or Paues Castle, is a hybrid plant, its parameters can be in the range of 30–40 cm. The foliage is characterized by openwork and dense arrangement, the plates are pinnately dissected, painted in a greenish-silvery shade. The rhizome is very elongated.
Louisiana wormwood (Artemisia ludoviciana)
From the name it is clear that the native area of natural growth falls on the lands of America. It is a tall representative of the genus, the stems of which can reach 1 m. Both flowers and fruits are not decorative. Through the stems and deciduous mass, spectacular thickets are formed, which are used to organize the background in the flower garden. During the winter period, freezing sometimes occurs, so it is recommended to take care of the shelter for this time.
The best varieties of the species among gardeners are recognized:
- Silver Queen or The Silver Queen, which has branched stems that extend to a height of 0.7 m. Leaf plates of a light gray color unfold on them, through which loose thickets are formed.
- Valerie Finnis having a rather interesting color of the deciduous mass, so the top of the leaf has a grayish-green tint, and its reverse side is almost snow-white due to the dense pubescence of hairs. Their shape is also quite peculiar, since there is a dissection at the top, and the edge with pointed teeth.
Field wormwood (Artemisia campestris)
It has a semi-shrub shape, its shoots in height are within 0, 3–0, 8 m. However, there are specimens not exceeding 15 cm in height. In the lower part, the stems can become lignified, there is a branching and a reddish tint. Large leaf blades have pinnately dissected outlines, greenish color. Flowering occurs in the period June-September. Baskets are formed with a spherical or oval shape with a diameter of no more than 2–2, 5 cm. The color of the flowers in them is yellowish or with a red tone.
The most beautiful variety is considered Lambrook Silver, whose branches are able to stretch up to a height of 0.75 m, leaves with a very deep dissection unfold on the stems.
Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)
It got its name from its distinct bitter aroma, which intensifies on hot and dry days. Is one of the constituents of absinthe. Grows on forest edges, can often act as a weed. The native area of distribution is wide - European territories and northern Africa, western regions of Asia and the United States.
The height of the stems does not go beyond 0.5–2 m. Through them, a semi-shrub form of the plant is formed. The root is rod-shaped. Erect shoots have a silvery tomentose fluffy coating. Foliage in the lower part with petioles, has a double or triple pinnate dissection. In the central part of the shoots, leaves with short petioles, with a double pinnate dissection. At the tops, the foliage is sessile, it can be feathery or twice triple-divided. The lobes of the leaflets are bluntly pointed, linear-oblong.
During summer flowering (June-July), spherical baskets of tubular flowers are formed. The color of the petals in them is yellow. Baskets with a diameter of 2, 5–3, 5 cm are collected in paniculate inflorescences. The length of the achene fruit is only 1 mm, its outlines are oblong-wedge-shaped. Achenes ripen in the period from August to September.
Related article: Tips for growing antennae
Video about growing wormwood in the open field:
