Artemisia Ground Cover

Artemisia is a large group of shrubs and herbs best known for its distinctive foliage. Foliage color can range from bright green to nearly white, and they can bear shiny leaves or leaves with soft indumentum -- a fuzz that covers the leaves. Common names for Artemisias include mugwort, wormwood, sagebrush and dusty miller. Although most Artemisias flower, the blooms aren't showy and often detract from the overall appearance of the plants. Many Artemisias bear strongly scented foliage that's used as a flavoring for food and drinks, in making beer, wine or other spirits, and as insect repellents. Most Artemisias have the potential to be invasive; check local ordinances before planting.

Although the majority of Artemisias produce frosty-looking foliage, there are several green varieties that work well as ground covers. Atremisia rupestris viridis produces low-growing, deeply cut, matte green foliage, while the cultivar called "Tiny Green" (Artemisia viridis "Tiny Green") produces a mat of bright green lacy foliage. "Tiny Green" will grow to about 6 inches tall and takes very light foot traffic. Both grow well in U.S. Department of Agriculture zones 5 through 9. Artemisia viridis "Blanco" is also known as Eclipta alba, and it bears elongated green leaves and tiny white daisy-like flowers. "Blanco" is hardy in USDA zones 5 through 11.

A large number of Artemisias produce a frosty blue-green foliage, but some varieties are particularly suited for ground covers. "Silver Mound" (Artemisia schmidtiaia "Silver Mound") forms a soft mound of lacy foliage and is hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, while "Canyon Gray" (Artemisia californica "Canyon Gray") bears weeping, thready branches but is less hardy, growing well in USDA zones 7 through 10. Fringed sagebrush (Artemisia frigida) has a widely upright habit, with stiff branches bearing lacy foliage, and is hardy in USDA zones 3 through 10. "Sea Foam" (Artemesia versicolor "Sea Foam"), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9 and forms wide upright mats with highly unusual curled foliage.

The indumentum on some Artemisias fully covers the leaves, leaving them feeling soft and feltlike. Some of these Artemisias are known as dusty millers, but the name dusty miller is also given to several other genera. They often make great complementary plantings to plants with pink or purple flowers. "Silver Brocade" (Artemisia stelleriana "Silver Brocade") has nearly white, deeply cut leaves and are hardy in USDA zones 2 through 9. "Silver Cascade" (Artemisia stelleriana "Silver Cascade"), hardy in USDA zones 4 through 8, has very similar foliage. Both form low mats. "Silver King" (Artemisia ludoviciana "Silver King") has long, narrow, uncut leaves and grows well in USDA zones 4 through 9. It forms a widely oval, upright mound.

The variegated Artemisias make great ground covers that add interest and variety to gardens. Variegated Artemisia (Artemisia vulgaris "Variegata") forms divided leaves with splotches of creamy yellow. "Oriental Limelight" (Artemisia vulgaris "Oriental Limelight") has similar foliage with slightly deeper yellow variegation, although some sources claim these two are the same plant. "Cragg-Barber Eye" has similar divided foliage with chartreuse and yellow variegation. All form broadly oval mounds, and are hardy in USDA zones 4 through 9.