Plant in full sun or part shade in a well-drained soil with moderate, occasional to infrequent watering – moderately drought tolerant but looks better with supplementary irrigation in our mediterranean climate. Hardy to - 15 degrees F and useful in USDA Zones 4-10. Prune in early spring or lightly shear at other times to keep a nice shape or to keep plant more dense - old unpruned plants can open up in the middle to expose stems. This artemisia is noted as having a more compact habit and a softer appearance than Artemisia arborescens and is useful for its texture and foliage color both as a garden plant or in containers. The plant does not flower much and even when it does the yellow flowers are hardly noticeable, so this plant is planted for its attractive foliage.

Artemisia 'Powis Castle' was originally taken as a cutting from a garden plant in Wakefield, West Yorkshire by Jimmy Hancock sometime between 1969 to 1971. Mr Hancock later became the head gardener at the National Trust's Powis Castle in Wales and introduced this plant from there in 1972. In 1993 it received the coveted Royal Horticulture Society's Award of Garden Merit. It is believed to be a hybrid between the Absinthe Wormwood, Artemisia absinthium, and Large Wormwood, Artemisia arborescens, based on the newly emerging green leaves resembling the former while the mature leaves the latter. DNA research described in an article titled "Genome size variation in the Artemisia arborescens complex (Asteraceae, Anthemideae) and Cultivars" by Sònia Garcia, Teresa Garnatje, John D Twibell and Joan Vallès in Genome, 2006, 49(3): 244-253, seems to support this idea and also determined that the Artemisia arborescens 'Brass Band' and Artemisia 'Faith Raven' are likely the same plants as 'Powis Castle'. The name for the genus likely honors Artemisia II of Caria, a botanist and medical researcher who died in 350 BC but whose name came from the Greek goddess Artemis, whom the Romans called Diana. We first started growing this great plant in 1989. 

The information about Artemisia 'Powis Castle' displayed on this web page is based on our research conducted in the nursery's horticultural library and from reliable online resources. We also include observations made about it as it grows in our nursery gardens and other gardens we have visited, as well how the crops have performed in containers in our nursery field. We will also incorporate comments we receive from others and welcome hearing from anyone with additional information, particularly if they can share cultural information that would aid others in growing this plant.