The silvery threads of Artemisia make other plants look better by contrast. It can also play peacemaker between flower colors that may clash. This perennial shrub is hardy in zones 6-9. It will grow to three feet in height, and up to four feet wide in its first season. Any limbs that touch soil may sprout roots, resulting in an increasing clump. It also spreads by rhizomes.

Like other plants with gray foliage, Artemisia (pronounced ar-tem-EE-zee-uh) is heat-tolerant and drought-tolerant but suffers from wet soils or high humidity. ‘Powis Castle’ cultivar is reputed to be more humidity-tolerant than others. It has a finely cut foliage that looks super when paired with needled evergreens or purple foliage (think Loropetalum or Purple Heart). Shrubs may have yellow blooms, but flowering is rare and doesn’t add much to the overall appearance. A newish cultivar, ‘Seafoam,’ has neat curlicue foliage. I plan to trial its humidity resistance in the Mary Snoddy garden as soon as I find it in a local nursery. Artemisia foliage can be dried and used for wreaths or in flower arrangements.

Personal experience taught me that this is a plant that thrives on neglect. Initially, I planted ‘Powis Castle’ in a partly sunny spot and watered it during hottest days. By the end of its first season, it looked tatty, not at all attractive. Year two was even worse – long stems with limited (brown, nasty) foliage. In frustration, I pulled it out of the ground, tossed it on the gravel pile next to my greenhouse, and forgot it. Imagine my surprise three weeks later, when I realized that it had returned from the brink of death and was thriving atop a hot, dry gravel pile. Lesson learned. I planted a pair of future purchases in horrible, red fill dirt on top of a slope and added no supplemental irrigation. They flourished.

‘Powis Castle’ will survive in any soil type, and prefers a neutral to alkaline soil. Mature plants may open up in the center and look rather rangy. Limited pruning can be done any time plants are actively growing. They withstand hard pruning and will regenerate into dense shrubs. Important: Do NOT prune in late fall or winter. Wait until active new growth starts in spring before whipping out the loppers. Plants pruned in winter are likely to die.

Artemisia is not grown for its pleasant fragrance. Crushed foliage or cut stems exude a strong smell. This odor is what makes deer avoid it. Plants are untroubled by insects or diseases.

You will notice that I have not provided a common name for Artemisia. Well, here goes: Wormwood.