Mugwort and Wormwood ID please

[alindsay]

I have been puzzling all summer over how to tell the difference between the 2plants and now have some clear photographic evidence to post which I hope someone can confirm for me

The 1st photo I am guessing is Mugwort



Is the second Wormwood?



and is it likely that the 2 species would be found together as the 3rd photo?



Leaves to both plants looked and smelt the same to me

Thanks in advance

[steve47]

Yes mugwort is only dusty under the leaves I think plus it is hardly strong to the smell. Where Wormwood is dusty all over, very strong smelling,slightly larger flowers and much less common than Mugwort It is this light grey appearance that allows me to tell it at a glance. Hence it's country name of Dusty Miller. Hope this helps- Steve47.

[Dorts]

Alison. From what I can see, all plants are Mugwort - Artemisia vulgaris , a very common, variable, wayside perrenial.
If they smelt the same then they must be the same, as the smell of Wormwood is unmistakable.

The leaves, flowers and the smell of Wormwood - A. absinthium are very different to Mugwort.
The flowers of Wormwood are like little yellow buttons. The leaves are more finely-cut and the smell is strong, (sickly) sweet and highly pungent. The whole plant is covered in fine silver-grey hairs. Wormwood is scattered, but nowhere common.

The two species can occasionally found growing together.
Dorts.

[alindsay]

Thanks Steve47 and Dorts, I can confirm that I have then never seen Wormwood, but live in hope of spotting Dusty Miller soon.

Very impressed that Mugwort flowers can be so different. I will look for even more variations to add to my knowledge.

[Gill Catton]

Yes I agree with everything Dorts has written, I have found mugwort all over the place but wormwood is much less common and once you've seen it its really quite different, very delicate and feathery and a gorgeous silver grey/ green all over and pungent!! I put some in my own garden (bought seed) and loved it.

[Dorts]

The flowers on Mugwort can be brownish with small pale whitish petals, sometimes with orange/red petals, or yellow petals as in Alison's second photo.
Dorts.