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MONTANA FIELD GUIDE™

MONTANA FIELD GUIDE™

 

Common Wormwood - Artemisia vulgaris

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Non-native Species

Global Rank: GU
State Rank: SNA
(see State Rank Reason below)
C-value:


Agency Status
USFWS:
USFS:
BLM:


 





State Rank Reason (see State Rank above)
Artemisia vulgaris is a plant native to Eurasia (Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018). Plants were brought to eastern North America by early European settlers, likely through multiple introductions (Schultz in Flora of North America (FNA) 2007). Plants are grown as a medicinal plant, and there are many morphological forms. Since 1976 specimens have occasionally been collected from disturbed areas in Montana, predominantly gardens. It is unknown if plants have persisted or established in natural or native habitats in Montana. A conservation status rank is not applicable (SNA) because Artemisia vulgaris is a non-native vascular plant in Montana that is not a suitable target for conservation activities.
 
General Description
PLANTS: A rhizomatous, perennial forb with erect, usually branched stems, 40-190 cm tall. Stems are reddish-brown and striate. Plants faintly to not aromatic. Plants without hairs (glabrous) or sparsely hairy. Sources: Schultz in FNA 2006; Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018

LEAVES: Green or bicolored and arranged as a basal rosette or alternately on the stem (cauline). Leaf stems (petioles) are present. Main stem leaves have 1-2 pairs of prominent leaf-like lobes on the petiole. Blades are deeply pinnately divided, into sometimes toothed, cleft, or lobed segments. Bi-colored leaves are green above and white below due to the dense, soft, and) interwoven (tomentose) hairs. Sources: Schultz in FNA 2006; Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018

INFLORESCENCE: A broadly leafy panicle of compact, greenish-yellow flower heads. Flowers are arranged in small, roundish heads. Involucral bracts, 2-3(-4) mm long. The central florets have both stamens and pistils (perfect) while the marginal florets have only pistils. Flower head receptacles lack hairs between florets. Sources: Schultz in FNA 2006; Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018

Phenology
Flowering is from about mid-summer to late-fall (Schultz in FNA 2006).

Diagnostic Characteristics
Montana has about 19 Artemisia species, generally referred to as sagebrush, sagewort, mugwort, and wormwood. Of these 8 species are well-developed shrubs, and the remainder are woody at their base (sub-shrubs) or herbaceous. A technical field guide should be used to identify Artemisia species.

Some of the Artemisia species that have flowerheads without hairy receptacles and with marginal pistillite and central perfect florets:

Common Wormwood - Artemisia vulgaris, non-native, occasionally escapes cultivation
* Plants: Perennial, herbaceous forb. Faintly to not aromatic. Hairs absent to sparse.
* Root: Rhizomatous.
* Leaves: Uniformly green or bicolored (green upper side and whitish lower side, lanceolate, ovate, or linear, with deep-pinnately divided lobes. Main stem leaves with 1-2 pairs of lobes on the petiole!

Biennial Wormwood - Artemisia biennis, native
* Plants: Annual or biennial, herbaceous forb. Little to not odorous. Hairs lacking (glabrous).
* Root: Taproot.
* Leaves: Greenish, and oblanceolate in outline. Divided into dentate, lanceolate segments and coarsely toothed

White Sagebrush - Artemisia ludoviciana, native, desirable
* Plants: Perennial, herbaceous forb. Aromatic. Hairs short and soft (pubescent).
* Root: Rhizomatous.
* Leaves: Gray-greenish, linear lanceolate, with entire, lobed, or deeply-lobed margins - depending upon the subspecies which intergrade.

Artemisia species that have flowerheads with hairy receptacles, marginal pistillate florets, and perfect central florets:

Absinth Wormwood - Artemisia absinthium, non-native, invasive, undesirable
* Plants: Robust, herbaceous, perennial forb. Aromatic. Hairs dense, fine, gray-white hairs (canescent).
* Root: Taproot.
* Leaves: Gray-greenish, and ovate in outline. Pinnately divided 2-3 times into linear-lanceolate segments, at least 2 mm wide.

Fringed Sage - Artemisia frigida, native
* Plants: Short, perennial sub-shrub. Aromatic. Hairs canescent to dense, soft, and interwoven hairs (tomentose).
* Root: Branched caudex.
* Leaves: Gray-greenish, and oblong. Divided 2-3 times into linear segments, about 1 mm wide.

Alpine Sagebrush - Artemisia scopulorum, native
* Plants: Smaller, herbaceous, perennial forb. Hairs stiff, straight, sharp, and appressed (strigose) to canescent.
* Root: Branched caudex.
* Leaves: Gray-greenish, and ovate in outline. Divided 2 times into linear-oblanceolate segments, about 1 mm wide.

Species Range
Montana Range Range Descriptions
Range in Montana
Montana Natural Heritage Program Logo
Non-native
 


Range Comments
Common Wormwood is native to Eurasia (Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018). Plants were brought to eastern North America by early European settlers (Schultz in Flora of North America 2007). Plants are grown as a medicinal plant, and there are many morphological forms (Schultz in Flora of North America 2007), which is an indicator that multiple introductions of the species to the continent likely occurred. Common Woodward is widespread in eastern North America, colonizing disturbed habitats.

In the mid-1950s Common Woodworm was grown on the University of Montana campus in Missoula within the pharmaceutical gardens. The first documented occurrence in Montana that grew in a natural habitat was found in Lewis and Clark County in 1976 where the ground was disturbed. Since 1976 observations of Common Woodworm within natural habitats have not been made reported. Observations that are reported have either come from gardens or have been mis-identified Artemisia ludoviciana plants. It is unknown if plants persist in more natural areas (Lesica et al. 2022).

Observations in Montana Natural Heritage Program Database
Number of Observations: 6
(Click on the following maps and charts to see full sized version)
Relative Density

Recency

 

(Observations spanning multiple months or years are excluded from time charts)



Habitat
Common Wormwood can colonize disturbed lowland areas in open woodlands and sandy soil (Giblin et al. [eds.] 2018. In Montana, and as of 2025, plants have been found in disturbed, manmade habitats near a highway, in yards, and in gardens.

Management


References
  • Literature Cited AboveLegend:   View Online Publication
    • Flora of North America Editorial Committee. 2006. Flora of North America North of Mexico. Vol. 19. Magnoliophyta: Asteridae, part 6: Asteraceae, part 1. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxiv + 579 pp.
    • Hitchcock, C.L. and A. Cronquist. 2018. Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual. Second Edition. Giblin, D.E., B.S. Legler, P.F. Zika, and R.G. Olmstead (eds). Seattle, WA: University of Washington Press in Association with Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. 882 p.
    • Lesica, P., M.T. Lavin, and P.F. Stickney. 2022. Manual of Montana Vascular Plants, Second Edition. Fort Worth, TX: BRIT Press. viii + 779 p.
  • Additional ReferencesLegend:   View Online Publication
    Do you know of a citation we're missing?
    • Adhikari, S. 2018. Impacts of dryland farming systems on biodiversity, plant-insect interactions, and ecosystem services. Ph.D. Dissertation. Bozeman, MT: Montana State University. 207 p.
    • Jones, W. W. 1901. Preliminary flora of Gallatin County. M.S. Thesis. Bozeman, MT: Montana State College. 78 pp.
  • Web Search Engines for Articles on "Common Wormwood"
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Citation for data on this website:
Common Wormwood — Artemisia vulgaris.  MONTANA FIELD GUIDE™.  .  Retrieved on , from