Artemisia indica
A perennial herb in the Asteraceae with grey, aromatic, deeply lobed, silvery foliage and small yellowish-green flowers, native to Asia and reaching about 80–150 cm, with edible leaves used as a coloring and condiment and traditional medicinal uses including anthelmintic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, expectorant and stomachic.
Common Names
Indian Wormwood, Mugwort
Summary
An herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae native to East Asia (India, China, Japan, Himalayas) with aromatic, deeply lobed leaves and a height around 1.2 m; foliage green with a silvery underside and small yellowish flowers that bloom August to October, growing on forest edges, slopes and scrublands at elevations of 300–2400 m.
Cultivation favors well-drained sandy to loamy soils with full sun to light shade, moderate watering, and avoidance of waterlogging; hardy to USDA zones 6–9; germination surface sow or light cover, with temperatures 18–24°C and 2–4 weeks to emergence. Uses include medicinal properties such as antiseptic, anthelmintic, antispasmodic, emmenagogue, expectorant, and stomachic effects; infusion may aid nervous or spasmodic conditions and asthma; leaves are edible and used as a coloring and condiment; essential oil (~0.2%) yields a larvicide and weak insecticide.
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
12 inches – 5 feet
Hardiness Zones
Zones 6-9
Sunlight Requirements
Full Sun to Partial Shade.
Soil Type
Well-drained soil, light (sandy) to medium (loamy) soils
Soil Drainage
Well-drained soil
Soil pH
6-8
Bloom Color
Insignificant
Bloom Time
Fall
Foliage Color
Gray-green foliage with a silvery underside
Fall Foliage Color
Grey
Leaf Lifecycle
Other
Growth Rate
Variable; sometimes annual, more commonly perennial.
Seasons of Interest
Summer and Fall
Propagation Methods
Seeds, Cuttings, Division
Attracts Wildlife
Attracts insect pollinators
Taxonomy
- Taxonomic Rank
- Species
- Author
- Willd.
- Publication
- Sp. Pl., ed. 4 , 3: 1846 (1803)
Superior Taxa
- Kingdom
- Plantae
- Subkingdom
- Pteridobiotina
- Phylum
- Angiosperms
- Order
- Asterales
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Subfamily
- Asteroideae
- Tribe
- Anthemideae
- Genus
- Artemisia
Inferior Taxa
Artemisia indica var. elegantissima Artemisia indica var. kumaonensis Artemisia indica var. maximowiczii Artemisia indica var. momiyamae Artemisia indica var. orientalis
Synonyms
Artemisia samamisica Artemisia affinis Artemisia officinalis Artemisia tongtchouanensis Artemisia wallichiana Artemisia eriophora Artemisia quadripedalis Artemisia flodmanii Artemisia ludoviciana Artemisia virens Artemisia discolor var. glandulifera Artemisia discolor Artemisia parviflora Artemisia ruderalis Artemisia indica var. indica Artemisia princeps var. orientalis Artemisia vulgaris var. flodmanii Artemisia dubia var. orientalis Absinthium moxa Artemisia leptophylla Artemisia rubriflora Artemisia longiflora Artemisia heyneana Artemisia hispanica Artemisia violacea Artemisia vulgaris Artemisia wallichiana f. nitida Artemisia michauxii Artemisia dubia var. septentrionalis Artemisia leucophylla Artemisia superba Artemisia vulgaris var. glandulifera Artemisia apetala Artemisia leptostachya