(Silver Mound Wormwood, Wormwood)

Silver mound wormwood, is an herbaceous perennial that originates from Japan. It forms a low, mounded, clump of very finely divided silver foliage, hence the name silver mound, and has insignificant yellow flowers that appear in mid-summer. This cultivar is more compact than the straight species. One ornamental aggravation with it is its tendency to fall open in the middle and show its bare inner stems. This is a very hardy perennial that is moderately drought tolerant and does best in sites with...

(Curlicue Wormwood, Seafoam Wormwood)

This curious silvery-blue perennial, ‘Seafoam,’ is a curlicue sage, so named for the finely divided, plumey, curly leaves that crowd together in distinct bunches like froth on a wave. It is a variety of Artemisia versicolor a plant of unknown origin which is thought to be a dwarf because of its small leaves and density. Low-growing and spreading, ‘Seafoam’ will cascade off rock ledges and over pots and curbs.

Developed mainly for its soft texture and color, ‘Seafoam’ blooms irregularly...

(Star Wormwood)

Despite its close resemblance to the tender perennial Senecio cineraria (better known as dusty miller), this herbaceous perennial from the coasts of Northeast Asia is rock hardy. It is also highly adaptable, having naturalized in both Northern Europe and the Northeast United States. It creeps and sprawls to form carpets of lobed leaves that are densely covered with silver-white fuzz. The leaves are concentrated toward the tips of the stems. Clusters of dull yellow nondescript flowers appear...

(Seashore Wormwood, Silver Brocade Wormwood, Star Wormwood)

Low-down, almost prostrate in habit, this selection of the popular foliage annual, Dusty Miller, is prized for its beautiful silver mat of overlapping, small, lobed leaves. The parent species of ‘Silver Brocade’ is native to coastal areas of northern Asia and Japan, and has naturalized in both Europe and the United States. The parent and this selection have proven tolerant of salt air and salty sandy soils. All the same, you can count on ‘Silver Brocade’ to do far better in areas with ordinary drainage,...

(Common Wormwood, Mugwort)

Put this weedy plant in the same classification as notorious weeds like Canadian thistle, star thistle, spotted knapweed and others. It is a bear of a plant that is next to impossible to get rid of once it takes hold. Plants aggressively spread via underground stems called rhizomes that form large matted colonies—even the smallest rhizome left in the ground will result in a new plant. The name “vulgaris” means common and this plant is common because it is a pest. Can you tell this is not one of our...

(Common Wormwood, Mugwort, Oriental Limelight Mugwort)

This variegated form of the weedy common wormwood has pretty enough golden variegated foliage but is profoundly invasive in the garden and beyond. It is next to impossible to get rid of once it takes hold. Plants aggressively spread via underground stems, called rhizomes, which form large matted colonies—even the smallest rhizome left in the ground will result in a new plant.

Common Wormwood is an herbaceous perennial that originates from areas across Europe, Africa, Asia and arguably northwestern...