PlantFiles: Artemisia, Wormwood
Artemisia 'Powis Castle'

I believe (but have yet to verify) that this plant originated as a hybrid between Artemisia arborescens and Artemisia absinthium.

I had a Powis Casle for two years and loved it, so bought several more last year, but lost almost half of them over the winter. The ones that didn't die are much smaller than they were last summer, coming in on only one branch of each. I live in SE Michigan, zone 6a, and we did NOT have a bad winter last year. I have them in full to part sun in good sandy loam soil. Can anyone explain why this might have happened? I don't know whether to try again.

I grow this plant hot & dry, and by summer I have a silver shrub 3' tall x 4-5' wide, compact foliage, excellent contrast to any brightly colored flowers. Early spring I cut it back to the main branches about 6-8" off the ground, and soon the new foliage fills in green. As summer heats up it goes silver and stays silver through winter. No pests or diseases, no pruning, no watering, no fertilizing.

The texture and color of this artemisia makes a wonderful addition in the landscape. I have planted it in various locations, sun, half day sun, wet clay, well-drained even sandy soil and all of my plants transplanted well and grew nicely, but none of them made it through chicago winters. I doubt this plants hardiness here.

A lovely accent plant that can help to hide the dying foliage of many bulbs. It does need a shearing once in a while and then it's ugly for a week or so. On the whole I like it, especially the fine cut foliage.

Attractive, fern-like silvery foliage -- a nice background for flowers. Mine serves as an understorey for roses, and perennials that tend to get leggy. It throws out long (2-4') stems that can go bare at the center as the long summer in Florida (USDA zone 9a) comes to an end. The upside to this growth habit is that you can air-weave (propagate) these long, leggy stems by slightly abrading the stem and burying it (I use a landscaping staple, but a y-shaped stick would do the trick). Can unify a bed. Not at all invasive like Silver King, another cultivar of Artemisia.
Highest recommendation for a low-care, foliage plant in an annual or perennial bed where, say, lambs ear wouldn't survive.

My first year with this plant, having installed 4" pots, was very good. Had them in a sunny area, didn't need much water. The second year they took over the perennial bed. I didn't do any pruning back and by the winter, when I went to cut back the bare twiggy growth, a lot of the less aggressive perennials had been killed off by lack of light from the artemisia.

Still, very attractive foliage, in season, but overly aggressive and looks poor out of season.

To keep the plant dense and compact, keep it pruned all summer. Prune it back only once a year, in late winter, leaving short ( 12 inches) woody stems with lots of buds. Do not prune in summer, so the plant is spreading but full.

'Powis Castle' may also be used as an accent near taller shrubs because of its neat, mounding growth habit.

This baby turned out to be a showstopper in my NM garden. I planted it from a 4" pot and in one season it got to be about 3-1/2 feet tall by about 4 feet around. It was huge and beautiful, tall and tempting for its fabulous fragrance, and always receiving praise from many admirers besides me! It received full western sun in a xeri bed along rock and wildflowers and just prospered! The flowers on it were so pretty!

Given an annual haircut, it bounces back and gets bushier -- a fantastic plant as filler, background or specimen! Definitely a keeper!

I have a number of different artemisias which seem to thrive in my hot dry climate and alkaline soil. Powis Castle is one of my favorites - it never gets leggy and is a tidy mound of pleasantly pungent silver foliage. Another bonus is that the deer leave it alone. I have some drumstick alliums growing up through one and it is quite striking with the magenta globes appearing to be flowering on the Powis Castle.

I have really enjoyed my Artemisia Powis Castle. It is important to give them lots of room to grow as they get very big!

Has yellow blooms in late summer but it's best to remove the flowers. This plant was given to me as a small plant in the spring and it's really gone wild. Sure adds some nice color in the garden this time of year.

I have several of these and love them in my beds or stand-alone. No pests, no problems that I know.