Artemisia vulgaris
Scientific Name | Artemisia vulgaris L. |
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Synonyms | Artemisia var. cinerascens Rouy, var. major Rouy, var. parvifolia Rouy., Artemisia ssp. verlotiorum Lamotte |
Common Names | English: Mugwort, Common Wormwoot; German: Beifuß, Besenkraut, Gänsekraut; French: armoise; Spanish: artemisia vulgar; Italian: artemisia |
Description | Tall herbaceous perennial plant growing 1-2 m (3.28 - 6.56 ft), rarely 2.5 m (8.20 ft) tall with short persistent rhizomes. |
Gallery

Descriptions
Characteristic Features
Leaves white on the under-surfaces, leaf segments pointed, not blunt.
Stems
Erect stem often has a red-purplish tinge.
Leaves
Leaves are 5 to 10 cm (1.97 - 3.93 inch) long, 2,5 to 7,5 cm (0.98 - 2.95 inch) wide, alternately arranged on the stem, deeply lobed, with a distinctive aroma. Leaves on the upper portions of the plant are more deeply lobed and may lack petioles. Leaf undersides are covered with soft, white to gray hairs, while upper leaf surfaces may be smooth to slightly hairy.
Propagation Organs
Flowers
Flowers are inconspicuous and occur in clusters at the top of the plant.
Flowering Period
July-September.
Fruit
Achene that encloses the seed.
Seeds
Germination in early spring.
Viability of Seeds
Seeds have remained viable in cultivated soil for at least 5 years. Seed production per plant ranges from 50,000 to 700,000.
Propagation
Mugwort also propagates vegetatively from small rhizome segments.
Occurrence
Habitat
Waste places and roadsides.
Soil
Nitrogenous soils.
Additional Crop Information
Soybean, pastures, hayfields.
Agricultural Importance
Mugwort is an aggressive weed that can rapidly colonize new areas, often forming dense monospecific stands. It is spread or transported by cultivation equipment or also in burlapped nursery stock contaminated with rhizomes. Rhizomes can penetrate to a depth of 7-18 cm (2.75 - 7.08 inch) in soil. The flower stems die in autumn and leave a number of separate rhizomes that develop new shoots and overwinter as low leaf rosettes. It can become a serious problem in no-till or reduced tillage fields.
Control
Useful non-chemical contribution to Integrated Weed Management
Hoeing, spudding and hand pulling, or by frequent cutting when growing at the margins of fields. Deep and intensive tillage may reduce the weed.
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