Spiked wormwood, Black wormwood, Genipi
Artemisia genipi

Family: Asteraceae

What it is like

A herb. The stems are woody at the base. It grows 10-20 cm tall. It is covered with silky grey hairs. The leaves are silvery-grey and the ones at the base are divided 2 to 3 times. The flowers are in a spike. The flower heads are small and yellow.

Where it is found

It is a temperate to Mediterranean climate plant. It grows on scree slopes. In northern Italy is occurs between 2,000-3,000 m above sea level.

Countries/locations it is found in

Alps, Europe, Italy, Mediterranean, Switzerland

How it is used for food

The leaves are used to flavour water of Absinthe. They are used to make alcoholic drinks. (Caution: Alcohol is a cause of cancer)

Edible parts

Leaves - flavouring, flower heads

How it is grown

Plants are grown from seeds.

Its other names

Local names

Blackwart, Genepi noir

Synonyms

Absinthium tanacetifolium (L.) Gaertn.; Artemisia bocconei All.; Artemisia spicata (Baumg.) Wulfen ex Jacq.; and others