Absinth Wormwood-Introduction

Introduction | History | Control | References

Introduction

Each State in the U.S. has its own noxious weed list. A weed in North Dakota that tops the noxious weed list is absinth wormwood, thus landowners are required to eradicate or control the spread of this plant. Absinth wormwood is known by a variety of names including: American or common wormwood, mugwort or madder wort, and wormwood sage. This weed is a member of the Asteraceae family, and it is a perennial forb. Absinth wormwood is commonly 3 feet tall at maturity but can grow to over 5 feet tall. The plant is woody at the base and regrows each spring. Leaves are a light olive green in color, 2 to 5 inches long, and divided two or three times into deeply lobed leaflets. Leaves and stems are covered with fine silky hairs that give the plant a grayish appearance. The most distinguishing characteristic of this weed is its strong sage odor.


Young Absinth Wormwood	Absinth Wormwood Seeds	Mature Absinth Wormwood Plant