By Gattina
Bologna,
Italy 
Has anyone grown Artemisia abrotanum - Southern wood in their gardens? Can it be grown from seed or is it cuttings only? I have been looking for perennial plants that will tolerate hot, dry, poor soil conditions in summer, but not turn their toes up the moment long, wet, freezing winter descends. This sounds doubly attractive in it's fly (and possibly mosquito?)-repellent properties, too. Has anyone any other ideas or recommendations?
25 Nov, 2011
Answers
Oooh, Pimpernel - could you collect me some seeds, please? If it grows, I could mix it in with the rushes on my floor, too! Seriously, we have big problems with mosquitos, moths and flies here when it gets hot in Summer, and something that looks good, smells nice and acts as an insect repellent sounds like the perfect plant for us. How does yours cope with winter?
25 Nov, 2011
Mine is a ragged woody thing Gattina but it has just offered up a surprising quantity of seed...It should be OK Perhaps I should grow a new youthful one..I will get this lot clean and dry...How does it cope? well it's still here.
25 Nov, 2011
Thx, L'l P :-)
25 Nov, 2011
I have had one for many years on and off and have never ever seen them flower, (how do you do it Pimpernel?) but it grows very readily from hardwood cuttings. I cut it right back in the spring, which keeps it from getting woody and untidy - perhaps this is why it doesn't flower! When I stuck some of the prunings in the ground they nearly all rooted. Surprisingly though, it does seem to resent getting too dry and wilts a bit at the tips - soon picks up again when watered though.
I haven't noticed it repelling insects in the garden, but my mother used to put stems of it in muslin bags and use it to repel clothes moths.
26 Nov, 2011
To be honest I do nothing to it, it is in rapidly perishing galvanised tub and has been from the time I moved in. Not altogether sure I noticed the flowers either now I think about it.
26 Nov, 2011
So where did the seeds appear? all along the twigs, at the ends, in bunches etc, and what do they look like?
28 Nov, 2011
The seeds are mainly on the top third of the plant,you can't miss them if you have them. The spent flower heads look kind of like Mignonette spikes well sort of...or spent golden rod ..ish.
28 Nov, 2011
Well you live and learn! I've often wondered about flowers but certainly have never seen any.
2 Dec, 2011
Previous question
« How does one keep poinsettias as house plants as long as possible?
I inherited one Gattina so have never grown it myself as such, it's smells fantastic in small doses. It can be grown from seed and semi hardwood cuttings in late summer. Elizabethans mixed it, as well as Flea bane in with the rushes that they scattered on the floor. So it should repel mosquito.
25 Nov, 2011