Bulbs: Simple Pleasure: Narcissus pseudonarcissus., 0 by raydio

raydio wrote:
Here is the Artemesia. The grayshness of the new, felty, aromatic foliage is more so "in person" . The reverse is very silvery-gray. I think it is common wormwood or mugwort (A. vulgaris, ssp "From Hades" ;-)). It is a perennial and makes seed (AFAIK, it does. It flowers (chaffy nothings)but I haven't actually checked to see if it produces viable seed. I don't want to know!

It spreads by underground runners which will strike on asphalt from the merest slip of a piece. Do not think that pulling it up by the throat will rid you of it. And do not dare to til it under to get rid of it. LOL

It eventually reaches an average height of 2-2.5 feet per season and the tops die down each year but are replaced with short new growths in the winter. I'll post other picture as it goes through its season so you can see what it looks like.

It grow everywhere though somehow conditions keep it from going crazy like kudzu, but it nevertheless wreaks havoc in cultivated areas with good light. It came into our yard on some iris I got from my grandmother and then my father got some fill dirt from an area that was rife with it. Oy!

The good news is that Round-up will send it to its great reward. But you have to keep check on it because every little bit you missed is it's cloven hoof in the door. It is a devil, no doubt about it.

I do grow some other Artemesias (ludcoviciana and others) but this is is not pretty, just prolific. It would be a great plant to control erosion, though. It binds the soil together in a 2" thick solid mass of roots and rhizomes and it laughs drought of *any* duration! But to *willingly* introduce this plant to ANY are for ANY reason must be WELL thought out!!! You have been warned.

Happy Gardening!

Robert.

PS: You may notice the woodland phlox (P. divaricata) in the lower right and left of the pic. If little gems like this weren't all bound up with Artemsia devilsspawn, I would have long ago rid myself of this pest.

This message was edited Mar 19, 2006 5:15 PM