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Artemisia lactiflora (White Mugwort)

White Mugwort, Pale-Flowered Wormwood

AGM Award
Artemisia Lactiflora, White Mugwort, Artemisia Lactiflora Guizhou Group, Guizhou, Pale-Flowered Wormwood, Ghost plant, Purple leaved White Mugwort

Resembling the delicate Astilbe, Artemisia lactiflora (White Mugwort) is favored for its deep green foliage, its attractive plumes of creamy-white flowers, and its elegant vertical lines. Unlike its Artemisia cousins, whose yellow-gray flowers are inconspicuous, White Mugwort features lovely sprays of tiny flowers on slightly arching but self-supporting stems from late summer to fall atop toothed, deep-green leaves with silver undersides. This is an excellent selection for the garden thanks to its airy texture and is perfect for lightening the effect of brightly colored flowers in the landscape. It mixes superbly with the rich blues and purples of Asters and the brilliantly colored Echinaceas (Coneflowers).

  • Erect, this clump-forming perennial typically grows 4-5 ft. tall (120-150 cm) and spreads 2-3 ft. (60-90 cm).
  • Thrives in rich, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun or part shade. Excellent soil drainage is essential.
  • Fits beautifully in any bed of perennial flowers. Great as cut flowers or for everlasting dried flower arrangements.
  • Recipient of the prestigious Award of Garden Merit of the Royal Horticultural Society (1993)
  • Easy to grow, White Mugwort is drought, deer, and rabbit tolerant and attracts butterflies.
  • Staking may be required in conditions of moist, rich soil. Cut back in early summer to prevent legginess. Cut back to basal foliage after flowering in the fall. Propagate by division or separation. Divide every 3-5 years.
  • Artemisia lactiflora is one of the few Artemisia which tolerates part shade and prefers moist soils. Artemisia lactiflora ‘Guizhou’ Group, commonly known as ‘Ghost Plant’ or Purple-leaved White Mugwort, is among the best varieties with its upright purplish stems bearing deeply dissected, purple-flushed dark green leaves and sprays of creamy-white flowers in mid-late summer.

Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 8
Heat Zones 5 - 8
Climate Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Compositae
Genus Artemisia
Common names Wormwood, Mugwort
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Late)
Fall
Height 3' - 5'
(90cm - 150cm)
Spread 2' - 3'
(60cm - 90cm)
Spacing 24" - 36"
(60cm - 90cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Dried Arrangements, Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Drought, Deer, Rabbit
Attracts Butterflies
Garden Uses Beds And Borders
Garden Styles Traditional Garden, Informal and Cottage
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Alternative Plants to Consider

Artemisia absinthium (Wormwood)
Artemisia pycnocephala (Sand Hill Sage)
Artemisia douglasiana (Douglas Mugwort)
Artemisia frigida (Prairie Sagebrush)
Artemisia filifolia (Sand Sagebrush)
Artemisia tridentata (Big Sagebrush)

Recommended Companion Plants

Ammi visnaga (Toothpick Weed)
Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion)
Agastache ‘Blue Fortune’ (Giant Hyssop)
Veronicastrum virginicum ‘Album’ (Culver’s Root)
Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’ (Black-Eyed Susan)
Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ (Feather Reed Grass)
Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)
Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena)
Anthemis tinctoria (Golden Marguerite)
Kniphofia (Red Hot Poker)
Echinacea (Coneflower)
Hemerocallis (Daylilies)
Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox)
Monarda (Bee Balm)
Persicaria amplexicaulis (Mountain Fleece)

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While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.
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Requirements

Hardiness 3 - 8
Heat Zones 5 - 8
Climate Zones 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21
Plant Type Perennials
Plant Family Compositae
Genus Artemisia
Common names Wormwood, Mugwort
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Summer (Late)
Fall
Height 3' - 5'
(90cm - 150cm)
Spread 2' - 3'
(60cm - 90cm)
Spacing 24" - 36"
(60cm - 90cm)
Maintenance Low
Water Needs Average
Soil Type Chalk, Loam, Sand
Soil pH Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
Soil Drainage Moist but Well-Drained, Well-Drained
Characteristics Dried Arrangements, Cut Flowers, Plant of Merit, Showy
Tolerance Drought, Deer, Rabbit
Attracts Butterflies
Garden Uses Beds And Borders
Garden Styles Traditional Garden, Informal and Cottage
How Many Plants
Do I Need?
Explore Great Plant Combination Ideas
Artemisia
Guides with
Artemisia
Not sure which Artemisia to pick?
Compare Now

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