The Plant World | What Is Wormwood?

What is wormwood?

Artemisia absinthium, the common name of which is "wormwood," is a hardy, spreading, fragrant perennial (plant that grows and blooms every year). It is 2 to 4 feet (61 to 122 centimeters) tall. Wormwood is native to Europe and, as an introduced species, it grows widely throughout North America. The liqueur absinthe gets its licorice flavor from wormwood.

Sources: Everett, Thomas H. The New York Botanical Garden Illustrated Encyclopedia of Horticulture, vol. I, p. 255; Stedman's Medical Dictionary, 25th ed, p. 6.

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