Artemisia Powis Castle

Artemisia Powis Castle or Wormwood Powis Castle or Mugwort
An evergreen dwarf shrub, Artemisia Powis Castle, also known as Wormwood Powis Castle or Mugwort, is treasured for its silvery foliage. With a low, rounded habit and a year-round interest, this ornamental shrub is a great choice for borders. Finely divided, fern-like, silvery leaves of this shrub form a natural mound. The feathery foliage remains on the shrub throughout the year, except in areas where winter temperatures go below -10 degrees. The leaves are scented and have a mild fragrance most similar to camphor. In late summer, insignificant yellow flowers appear, borne in narrow panicles.
Named after a medieval castle, this Wales native is fully hardy in the UK. This bushy shrub, although evergreen in milder climates, can be considered semi-evergreen in areas where temperatures are unusually low in the winter. Moderately drought resistant when established, Artemisia Powis Castle prefers well-drained soil and full sun. It’s not picky when it comes to the type of the soil, but it prefers poor to medium fertile chalk, loam or sand. This variety of wormwood is easy to grow and care for, as it is low maintenance and generally pest and disease resistant. For its good constitution and noteworthy qualities, this bushy shrub has been awarded the prestigious Award of Garden Merit by Royal Horticultural Society.
A dwarf cultivar, Wormwood Powis Castle stays compact even when fully mature. With a fast growth rate, this perennial grows to be around 50 centimetres high and no more than 1 metres wide. The rounded habit requires no trimming or shearing to stay in perfect form. However, to reinvigorate the plant and ensure that the foliage looks healthy and attractive, you’ll need to cut back the stems to the base of the plant in the autumn.  
With a finely textured foliage and multiple seasons of interest, this evergreen shrub is an ideal candidate for mixed borders. It can be used to accentuate flowering shrubs in the border or to complement ornamental grasses. Wormwood Powis Castle can thrive in containers as well, so it’s often planted as a specimen plant, adding colour to your patio or balcony in dull winter months.