How to Grow Wormwood
Wormwood At a Glance
Difficulty
Easy
Category
Herb
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Frost Tolerance
Frost Hardy
Cold Hardiness
Survives to -29°C
Plant Family
Asteraceae
Growing Season
Warm Season
Plant Lifecycle
Perennial
How to Start It
★ Recommended for beginners
Sow in early spring, about 2 weeks before your last frost, or in late fall and let winter do the work. The seeds are as fine as dust and need light to sprout, so scatter them on the surface, press them in gently and do not cover them. Keep the spot damp: they sprout in 14 to 21 days, and you can thin them (pull the extras) so each plant has 60 cm.
Wormwood is a tough, silvery perennial that comes back every year and thrives in poor, dry soil where little else grows. Its leaves and roots release a bitter substance that can slow the plants around it, so give it its own spot away from vegetables and herbs.
When To Start
Wormwood needs warmth. Wait until your last frost has passed and the soil has warmed before sowing.
We do not have exact sowing dates for this one yet.
When should you plant Wormwood?
Your planting dates depend on your local climate. Sign up and add your location to unlock personalized dates.
Your Wormwood Planting Window
Start planting
May 15, 2026
Last chance
Sep 10, 2026
Your Wormwood Calendar
Set your location to turn these into exact dates and reminders.
Sow wormwood seeds on the soil surface, uncovered
2 weeks before your last frost
Plant wormwood on its own, away from food crops
Around your last frost· optional
Cut wormwood back by half to keep it bushy
1 week before your last frost· every year
Did you water your wormwood seedlings today? Keep the top of the soil damp until they are up and growing.
About 1 days after you plant it
How is your wormwood doing? Keep it away from your other crops, and water lightly.
About 30 days after you plant it
Checking in on your wormwood. It likes sun and well-drained soil, so let it dry between waterings.
About 90 days after you plant it
The Journey Ahead
Wormwood's Lifecycle
Seedling
Mature Plant
Seed Production
Step 1
Prepare Your Space
0.1 cm
Seeding Depth
60 cm
Plant Spacing
90 cm
Row Spacing
1
Plants / Sq Ft
Vertical Growing
No.
Succession Planting
No.
Good Companions
Bad Companions
Step 2
Planting & Sprouting
Expect sprouts in 14–21 days
Growing Tips
- 1Plant wormwood in full sun, where its silver leaves look their best.
- 2It likes poor, dry, well-drained soil, so skip the compost and avoid rich beds.
- 3Water young plants until they settle in, then only in long dry spells.
- 4It needs no feeding at all, since rich soil makes it floppy.
- 5Cut it back by about half in early spring to keep it bushy and silver, and remove flowers if you do not want it to spread its seed.
- 6Wormwood is not a food or tea plant, it can harm people in large amounts, and it is toxic to cats, dogs and horses, so plant it where pets will not chew it.
Seedling Phase
Step 3
Growth & Maturity
100 cm
Mature Height
60 cm
Mature Width
Pests to Watch For
Diseases to Watch For
Mature Plant
Step 4
Harvesting
When to Pick
Cut foliage as needed for repellent use; site away from crops
How to Harvest
- 1Cut leafy stems in midsummer, just before the small yellow flowers open, when the leaves are most fragrant.
- 2Snip each stem above a pair of leaves so the plant branches again.
- 3Hang small bunches upside down in a dry, airy, shady place for 1 to 2 weeks.
- 4Crumble the dry leaves into small cloth bags and tuck them into closets and drawers, where the strong smell is traditionally used to keep moths away.
- 5Keep clippings and fallen leaves out of vegetable beds and the compost you use for food crops.
Step 5
Saving Seeds
How to Save Seeds
Wormwood comes true from seed and sows itself easily, so save seed from just one or two plants. Leave a few stems to flower and let the tiny flower heads turn brown and dry in fall. Cut the stems over a paper bag and shake or rub the heads to free the dust-fine seeds. Let them dry a few more days, then store them in a small labelled envelope somewhere cool, dark and dry, and sow them within about 2 to 3 years.
Seed Production
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