Southernwood, Lad’s love, Old Man
Artemisia abrotanum
Family: Asteraceae
What it is like
A shrub. It grows 1.2 m tall and spreads 1.2 m wide. It has soft stems. The leaves are grey and finely divided. The leaves are threadlike at the ends. The flowers are small and yellow in heads.
There are about 300 Artemisia species.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. In Argentina it grows between 500-1,000 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 4-10. Hobart Botanical Gardens
Countries/locations it is found in
Argentina, Asia, Australia, Austria, Canada, Czech, Europe, France, Germany, Hawaii, Hungary, Italy, Mediterranean, North America, Pacific, Romania, Russia, Siberia, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Switzerland, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, USA, Western Asia, Yugoslavia
How it is used for food
CAUTION: Several plants in this group are poisonous. The young bitter leaves are used to flavour beer and liqueurs. The leaves are used to flavour cakes. The leaves are brewed into tea. The flowering aerial parts are used to make a liqueur.
Edible parts
Herb, spice, leaves, tea
How it is grown
It can be grown from cuttings.
Its other names
Local names
Abrašica, Broida, Southern wormwood