Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a perennial herb with silvery grey, deeply lobed leaves and small yellow flowers. It has a strong aromatic scent and a bitter taste that has made it well known as a spice in, among other things, absinthe and bitter spirits. Growing wormwood in Sweden is both exciting and rewarding – the plant is robust, easy to care for, and thrives well in our climate. Both beginners and experienced growers can appreciate the joy of cultivation in having wormwood in the garden. In this guide you will get wormwood cultivation tips and learn the whole process from choosing a site and soil, via sowing and planting, to care, harvest and overwintering.
Site and soil – where does wormwood thrive?
Wormwood originally comes from dry, sunny regions and thrives best in a sunny, warm and sheltered position. Choose a place with poor, lime-rich and well-drained soil. Gravelly or sand-mixed soil is ideal – wormwood prefers dry ground over moist. Avoid heavy, wet clay soils where water remains standing, as the roots risk rotting. If your garden soil is very nutrient-rich, you can mix in sand or gravel to make it poorer. A sunlit corner of the herb garden, a slope or a rock garden with sparse soil is excellent for wormwood.
Avoid cramped company: Wormwood becomes about 80–100 cm tall and spreads like a small subshrub. Give it plenty of space and do not plant it too close to other herbs. It emits substances that can inhibit growth in certain herbs – especially sage, lemon balm, caraway, anise and fennel do poorly right next to wormwood. Therefore, let wormwood have its own place in the bed or herb patch, where it can thrive without disturbing (or being disturbed by) its neighbours.
Sowing and planting – from seed to plant
Wormwood can be propagated both via seed and vegetatively (cuttings or division). Here we go through how you sow and plant wormwood step by step:
Pre-cultivate indoors: To get a head start you can sow wormwood indoors in Feb–March. Use seed compost (poor soil) and sprinkle the very small seeds on top of a moist soil surface. The seeds need light to germinate, so do not cover them or only with a very thin layer of sand. Cover the sowing with plastic or a mini-greenhouse lid with air holes (vent daily to avoid mould). Keep the sowing moist but not wet – germination usually takes 2–3 weeks. When the tiny seedlings have come up and become a couple of centimetres tall, you can carefully prick them out into their own pots. Give plenty of light (preferably grow lights early in the season) so the plants become stocky. Harden off the young plants before planting out by placing them outside for short periods each day for a week. When the risk of night frost is over, the wormwood plants can be planted out in their growing site.
Direct sow outdoors: You can also sow wormwood directly in open ground or in pots outdoors when the frost releases, from May onwards. Choose a sunny place, rake the soil to a fine tilth and moisten it. Sprinkle the seeds on the surface and press them lightly against the soil – they need light to germinate. Keep the sowing moist during the first weeks. The seeds can germinate slowly; be patient and carefully weed out weeds that compete. When the seedlings reach ~5 cm in height you can carefully thin or move them so there is 30–50 cm distance between the plants. Wormwood can also be sown in late summer/early autumn (Aug–Sept) to establish itself and give a harvest the coming year.
Planting ready-made plants: If you have bought a wormwood plant or raised your own seedlings, it is time to plant out. Dig a hole and loosen the soil. If the soil is heavy, improve drainage by mixing in gravel/sand in the planting hole. Set the plant so the surface of the root ball is level with the ground. Water thoroughly immediately after planting so the roots make contact with the surrounding soil. Feel free to add a little gravel on top of the soil around the plant – it keeps weeds away and reflects heat. Keep the spacing in mind; about half a metre between wormwood plants and other plants is good. Wormwood is a hardy survivor that manages well on its own, but young plants need watering now and then during the first season to root themselves.
Cuttings and division: Do you already have a wormwood plant or know someone who does? Wormwood is easy to propagate vegetatively. In summer (July) you can take 8–10 cm long tips from this year’s new shoots as cuttings. Choose semi-ripe (partly woody but still flexible) shoots. Push them into small pots with moist sand-mixed peat soil and place in the shade. Keep moist; after a few weeks roots develop and you get new young plants. Division is another simple method: in spring or autumn you dig up an older plant and divide the root with a spade or knife. Plant the pieces in new places or in pots. These vegetative methods are good for rejuvenating the wormwood stand (the plant becomes woody over the years) and keeping vigorous specimens.
Care – easy care for an undemanding plant
An established wormwood requires minimal care, which makes it rewarding for all growers. Here are some important points for your wormwood to thrive:
Watering: Wormwood is drought-tolerant and prefers dry conditions. Normally rainfall is enough, but water during prolonged drought or if you see the leaves drooping. In a pot the soil dries out faster, so you may need to water a little more often there during hot summer days. Avoid overwatering – the roots dislike standing wet.
Fertilising: One of wormwood’s advantages is that it thrives in poor soil. Limit fertilising; you do not need to add much nutrition. On the contrary, too much fertiliser can give lush but weak growth with poorer aroma. A small dose of organic fertiliser or compost in autumn can however be added to provide a little nutrition that works slowly until the next season. Use moderately – wormwood manages well on its own.
Loosening and weeds: Keep the soil free of weeds and loose around the plant, especially while it establishes. Wormwood grows quickly and can outcompete weeds once it has spread, but in the starting phase it benefits from avoiding competition. Once per summer you can gently scratch around the soil at the base to supply oxygen to the roots.
Pruning: To keep the wormwood bush dense and neat you can prune it lightly. It grows fast and can become straggly. Cut back the tips at the end of July if the plant has become very tall or sparse – it stimulates new side shoots and gives a bushier shape. You can also cut down flowering stems after flowering if you want to avoid self-seeding (wormwood can spread seeds if they are allowed to ripen). However, be sparing with major cutbacks in mid-summer, as the plant stores energy for winter. Generally it is enough to cut down wormwood once per year, most often late in the season (more about this under Overwintering below).
Pests and diseases: Wormwood’s strong scent and bitter taste mean it is rarely affected by pests. On the contrary, wormwood is said to deter some insects in the surroundings. You normally do not need to worry about pests on this plant. Diseases are also unusual if the soil is well-drained. Just avoid letting the plant stand too wet – that is essentially the only thing that can cause trouble (root problems). A healthy wormwood is practically self-sufficient!
Quick wormwood growing tips in brief:
Sun and dry: Give wormwood a sunny, dry place with poor, well-drained soil – then it develops the best aroma and stays healthy.
Just enough water: Water sparingly. Better too dry than too wet – wormwood handles drought brilliantly but dislikes wetness.
Minimal nutrition: Do not overdo fertilising. A little compost at most; wormwood thrives in nutrient-poor soil.
Its own corner: Do not plant wormwood too tightly next to other culinary herbs. Its roots and scent compounds need room and can affect sensitive neighbours.
Tidy when needed: Remove withered flower heads and trim lightly if the plant becomes lanky. You get a nicer, denser plant that stays within bounds.
Grow wormwood in a pot
It works excellently to grow wormwood in a pot, which can be a good option if you have limited space or want to be able to move the plant around. Choose a sturdy pot, preferably at least 5–10 litres, as wormwood’s roots need space and the plant can become large. Make sure the pot has drainage holes in the bottom; put a layer of expanded clay pellets or gravel in the bottom for extra drainage. Fill with a free-draining soil mix – for example cactus compost or potting soil mixed with sand to mimic poor, gravelly ground.
Plant the wormwood and water the soil through properly the first time. Place the pot in a sunny position (e.g. on a south- or west-facing balcony or patio). In a pot the soil warms up faster and dries out quicker, so check with your finger and water when it is dry a bit down – but avoid, as said, constant moisture. Potted wormwood may need a bit more attention with watering than garden-grown, especially during peak summer heat, but is otherwise just as easy to care for.
An advantage of a pot is that you can move the plant indoors or protect it more easily over winter (more on overwintering in a pot below). The disadvantage is that the plant can become somewhat less vigorous than in open ground, but wormwood in a pot still becomes a fine bush with silvery leaves to enjoy. Remember to rejuvenate potted wormwood at intervals of a few years: the plant becomes woody after 3–4 years. Then you can either repot it in fresh soil, divide the root ball and repot the divisions, or sow new seeds. In this way you keep a vigorous wormwood in a pot for many years.
Grow wormwood in a greenhouse
Because wormwood tolerates our climate well it is rarely necessary to grow it in a greenhouse, but there are still situations where a greenhouse can be useful for wormwood. If you live in the very coldest parts of the country an unheated greenhouse can give wormwood a milder microclimate, which makes overwintering easier. You can for example place a potted wormwood in the greenhouse during winter as protection against icy winds and the worst frost. In such a case you still need to ensure the temperature is allowed to drop close to zero during winter – wormwood needs a cold dormancy period and does not do well if kept warm and active all year round. Let it go dormant with the natural winter temperatures (a few plus degrees to a few minus degrees is no problem for a hardy wormwood).
During summer wormwood can of course also grow in a greenhouse, but keep in mind that it can get very hot in there on sunny days. Make sure to ventilate and water when needed so the potting soil does not dry out completely in scorching greenhouse heat. Often wormwood thrives better outside in fresh air during summer, so you can advantageously move the pot outside after the last frost and let it stand outdoors, and only when the autumn cold arrives move it into the greenhouse again. The greenhouse thus functions primarily as a safe overwintering place or to start seed sowings early in spring. If you sow wormwood late in autumn you can place the pot in the greenhouse – the seeds can then begin to germinate early next spring in the sheltered environment. In summary: wormwood can be grown in a greenhouse, but it is so hardy that it is rarely needed for summer’s sake. Use the greenhouse smartly by extending the season at the edges and helping wormwood through winter dormancy if needed.
Harvest wormwood
Harvesting wormwood is a fragrant experience! The leaves and flower clusters contain the aromatic and bitter substances that wormwood is known for. The plant usually begins to flower in July and can continue into September. The best harvest time is at the beginning of flowering, when the first small yellow-green knobbly flowers have just opened. Then the content of scent and flavour substances is highest in the plant. Traditionally Bartholomew’s Day (24 August) was stated as the ideal harvest date, but rather let the plant’s development decide – different years and locations can vary in flowering start.
Harvest preferably on a sunny morning when the dew has dried, as the aromas are strongest then. Use a sharp pair of secateurs and cut off the top twigs (about 20–30 cm long) where the leaves and flower buds sit densely. You can harvest sparingly even earlier during summer if you need some leaves for seasoning, but for a larger harvest the flowering period is optimal. Always leave at least one third of the plant untouched so it can recover. If your wormwood is young or small, take only a few twigs the first year.
After harvest you can use wormwood fresh or dried. Fresh small twigs can be put in spirits for a few days to make your own wormwood schnapps (so-called bitter drops) – but be careful, wormwood is very bitter and potent (use extremely small amounts!). More common is that you dry the harvest for later use. Tie a bunch of twigs together with string and hang upside down in an airy, dark place (e.g. in an attic or a storage room). Alternatively you can spread the twigs sparsely on newspaper or a mesh. Do not dry in strong sun or over high heat; the aromas are best preserved with gentle drying. When the wormwood twigs are completely dry (they should rustle lightly and the leaves crumble if you squeeze them) you can strip off the leaves and flowering tops and store them in a jar or paper bag. Store dry and dark so the flavour lasts longer.
The wormwood plant itself benefits from the harvest – you thin it out and prevent it from spreading seed everywhere. Sometimes a second, smaller flush of new shoots can come after you have harvested the top. You can let these remain as green ornamental value, or harvest a little later in autumn if needed. However, remember that the effect of wormwood is strong; in herbal medicine it is used for stomach issues and parasites but always in small doses. Be content to enjoy the scent in the garden and use the harvest sparingly in the kitchen and spice shelf.
Overwintering – wormwood year round
One of the fine aspects of wormwood is that it is perennial and comes back year after year. With the right care it overwinters without problems in large parts of Sweden. Wormwood generally tolerates the climate up to zone 5–6, which corresponds to the coastal areas of Norrland. This means that in southern and central Sweden wormwood survives winter in open ground without special measures. The plant dies back in autumn; the silvery green stems turn yellow/brown after the first frost. Cut the plant down in late autumn or early spring to a few decimetres above the ground (some growers leave the dry stems standing over winter as protection and cut down only at spring clean-up – both ways work). Around the root base you can mound a little leaves or straw as protection, especially if the winter is expected to be bare (snow-free) and cold. In the northern inland with harsher climate the wormwood plant may need an extra winter cover of spruce branches or frost cloth to overwinter safely.
For potted wormwood, overwintering is a bit more fiddly. Wormwood in a pot is more exposed to cold because frost reaches the roots more easily all around. Ideally, move the pot into a frost-free but cold space. An unheated bright veranda, a garage or a greenhouse that stays just above 0 °C works well. Wormwood does not need light during its rest – it has died back – but the temperature should, as said, be at 0 to +5 °C for a safe rest. Water very sparingly during winter; the soil should preferably be dry, but do not let it dry out completely. A small splash of water once during winter dormancy is enough for the roots not to dry out completely. If you have no frost-free space you can try insulating the pot outdoors: place it next to a house wall in a south-facing position, wrap the pot in bubble wrap or jute, and if possible bury the whole pot in a bed (ground warmth protects better than if it stands above ground). Put dry leaves around and over the pot as an extra cover. With these measures the chance that wormwood survives winter in the pot increases.
When spring comes and the temperature begins to rise it is time to wake wormwood again. Bring the pot into the light if it stood dark, remove the winter cover, and begin to water a bit more when you see new shoots peeking up out of the soil. Wormwood usually sends up fresh silvery green shoots early in spring as soon as the ground can be worked. It is a lovely sight that really brings out the joy of cultivation – to see how your wormwood rises again after winter’s rest!
Author: Emma Vogiatzi – gardener
Fact-checked by: Erik Hoekstra
Last updated 2026-01-15