Description :
Sweet Annie, also known as sweet sagewort or sweet wormwood, is one of the well-known Artemisias loved by hobby farmers and flower growers alike for its long, plume-like, sweetly scented foliage and its ornamental value in wreath making, leaf pressing and flower arrangements. It is a self-sowing annual that grows up to five feet tall and equally wide. It is hardy to zone 7 and like many Artemisias, is extremely vigorous and essentially disease and pest free.
Sweet Annie is native to China and can be seen growing in the wild, growing in waste places, and at the edges of human habitats. Its size means it can take up quite a bit of space in the garden and as such is useful for filling in gaps at the back of a border. Its mature stalks are thick and woody and require loppers to cut. Its foliage is soft and fern-like, full and lush, and silvery-green in color. It can look quite lovely swaying in the breeze and makes a beautiful addition to flower arrangements. Its leaves are three to five centimeters long and divided by deep cuts into two or three small leaflets. Each feathery branch is covered with tens of thousands of small, yellowish-green flowers from August and September. Its small flowers are arranged in loose panicles. It does not produce large, striking blooms, but its sweet, luscious fragrance more than makes up for that.
Type: Annual
Family: Asteraceae
Native Range:
Growing Zones: 6-9
Mature Height: 5-6 feet
Mature Width: 2 feet
Sowing: Sow seeds indoors 6-8 weeks before the last frost. Barely cover seed. Needs light to germinate.
Sow depth: ¼ in
Days to Germinate: 7-21 @ 70F
Special Maintenance: n/a
Sunlight: Full sun, Part Sun
Soil Type: Average
Water: Average
Drought Tolerance: Moderate
Growth Rate: Moderate
Leaf Description: Feathery, highly aromatic
Bloom Time: Summer, August-September
Bloom Description: Miniscule, yellow
Harvest: Leaf
Harvest Time: Summer, August-September
Special Properties: Bees, Butterflies, Pollinators, Deer resistant, Highly aromatic, Cut flowers