Gmelin's Wormwood (Artemisia gmelinii) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Gmelin's wormwood is an Asian plant with a woody base, introduced to the continental United States. It has finely divided leaves and small, round flower heads that hang near the stem tips. Unlike the similar-looking sweet wormwood (Artemisia annua), which lives for one growing season, Gmelin's wormwood survives for years.

Appearance

Growth form: This branching usually reaches about 1½–3 ft (0.5–1 m). Its lower stems become woody.
Leaves: The leaves are divided into many narrow pieces, with small teeth on the pieces.
Flowers: Tiny, round flower heads hang from a loose cluster near the stem tips.
Fruit: Each flower head produces small, dry fruits.

Look-alikes

Sweet wormwoodArtemisia annua

Sweet wormwood is an annual with a single, nonwoody season of growth. Gmelin's wormwood survives for years with a woody base, so a photo showing the lower stems is more useful than a close-up of the leaves.

Why they get mixed upBoth have finely divided leaves and small flower heads.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Open slopes
Roadsides
Meadows
Range: It is native from Central Asia across East Asia and has been introduced to the continental United States.
Preferred conditions: Across its Asian range it grows in open, often dry places such as hillsides and roadsides.

Name and classification

About the name: Artemisia sacrorum has also been used as a name for this plant. Some researchers treat Korean plants once included here as Artemisia sacrorum var. iwayomogi.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: NENot EvaluatedNot yet assessed

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