Sweet Annie, Sweet Sagewort, Annual Wormwood, Huang Hua Hao

Artemisiaannua

Family
Asteraceae (ass-ter-AY-see-ee)
Genus
Artemisia (ar-te-MIZ-ee-uh)
Species
annua (AN-yoo-uh)
Synonym
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Sun to Partial Shade
Foliage
Grown for foliage
Herbaceous
Shiny/Glossy
Height
4-6 ft. (1.2-1.8 m)
Spacing
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)
Hardiness
Not Applicable
Danger
Handling plant may cause skin irritation or allergic reaction
Pollen may cause allergic reaction
Bloom Color
Bright Yellow
Green
Inconspicuous/none
Bloom Time
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall
Other Details
Category
Annuals
Herbs
Water Requirements
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Foliage Color
Blue-Green
Where to Grow
Bloom Characteristics
This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds
Flowers are fragrant
Bloom Size
Other details
May be a noxious weed or invasive
Soil pH requirements
6.6 to 7.5 (neutral)
7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline)
Patent Information
Non-patented
Propagation Methods
From seed; direct sow outdoors in fall
From seed; winter sow in vented containers, coldframe or unheated greenhouse
From seed; sow indoors before last frost
Self-sows freely; deadhead if you do not want volunteer seedlings next season
Seed Collecting
Collect seedhead/pod when flowers fade; allow to dry
Allow seedheads to dry on plants; remove and collect seeds
Regional

This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:

Seward, Alaska

Little Rock, Arkansas

Longmont, Colorado

Stonington, Connecticut

Dunnellon, Florida

Athens, Illinois

Monmouth, Illinois

Rock Falls, Illinois

Sterling, Illinois

Anderson, Indiana

Cedar Grove, Indiana

Jeffersonville, Indiana

Liberty, Indiana

Patriot, Indiana

Tipton, Indiana

Valparaiso, Indiana

New Orleans, Louisiana

Opelousas, Louisiana

Bangor, Maine

Adrian, Michigan

Edwardsburg, Michigan

Carthage, Missouri

Mount Vernon, Missouri

Whitefield, New Hampshire

Binghamton, New York

Van Etten, New York

Wallkill, New York

Columbia Station, Ohio

Portsmouth, Ohio

Stow, Ohio

Claremore, Oklahoma

Albion, Pennsylvania

Bethel Park, Pennsylvania

Mercer, Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Tionesta, Pennsylvania

Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania

Jonesborough, Tennessee

Austin, Texas

Hallettsville, Texas

Houston, Texas

Layton, Utah

Petersburg, Virginia

Stanwood, Washington

Cody, Wyoming

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Featured Videos

Gardener's Notes:

10
positives
3
neutrals
1
negative
Sort By:
Sort By:
A
Dunnellon, FL (Zone 9b) | May 2015 | neutral

Experiments were conducted on the farm of Institute for Agricultural Research (IAR), Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, during the 2012 hot ...Read More

A
Lancaster, NH | April 2015 | positive

Sweet Annie appears to be wonderful fall forage for honey bees and other small beneficial insects. This alone has earned it a spot in my garden.

D
Saratoga Springs, NY | April 2013 | neutral

I have never seen this plant. I heard a story on the radio about it, and it is used in making drugs to treat malaria. There is a worldw...Read More

B
Cedarhome, WA (Zone 8b) | May 2010 | positive

A thoroughly lovely plant. Smells heavenly. Self-sows wherever it likes, but easy to pull out (and what a treat to release the fragranc...Read More

L
Near Lake Erie, NW, PA (Zone 5a) | September 2009 | positive

If you are into fragrant plants this one is a must have. The down side is it will reseed everywhere. So if you are a neat flowerbed garde...Read More

M
Bangor, ME (Zone 5a) | September 2008 | positive

A friend of mine gave me some Sweet Annie to dry in my kitchen. It smelled so wonderful and interestingly, the scent changed over time as...Read More

C
Broomfield, CO (Zone 5b) | April 2008 | positive

From your friends at Botanical Interests: Sweet Annie is an annual with finely cut, highly aromatic green foliage and reaches 4'-6' tall ...Read More

M
M
Whiteside County, IL (Zone 5a) | March 2008 | positive

This is also beautiful in containers, but do remember to trim it before the flowers seed.

Otherwise, we like to grow this...Read More

J
J
Pittsburgh, PA | July 2007 | positive

I bought Sweet Annie from a local garden club sale because it was reported to repel deer who have become a big problem in our suburban Pi...Read More

W
Liberty, IN (Zone 5a) | September 2005 | positive

Sweet Annie self-sows and grows abundantly in my garden. As a floral designer, I love to cut it and use it in dried wreaths, tabletop Ch...Read More

H
Searcy, AR (Zone 7a) | April 2005 | positive

Yes, this plant reseeds itself profusely; it is not pretty; but the scent is wonderful. I first got this plant from a coworker in Indiana...Read More

M
M
Tipton, IN (Zone 5a) | August 2003 | positive

I love the fragrance of this plant! It is an annual for me and has never reseeded though I wouldn't mind a few new seedings to sprout each year.

L
Jeffersonville, IN (Zone 6a) | August 2003 | neutral

I have Sweet Annie growing under a maple tree. The harsh conditions keep it in check! A few self-seeded volunteers come up, but not bad. ...Read More

P
Westbrook, ME (Zone 5a) | January 2003 | negative

Do yourself a favor and don't allow Sweet Annie to go to seed in your garden! I learned the hard way and have been pulling out seedlings for years.

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