ND Department of Agriculture Press Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE AUGUST 12, 2009

NOXIOUS WEED SPREADING IN NORTH DAKOTA

BISMARCK – State weed control officials say that the noxious weed, absinth wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.), appears to be spreading in parts of North Dakota.

“Weed officers and producers are telling us that they are seeing more and larger infestations of absinth wormwood, especially in western North Dakota,” said Agriculture Commissioner Doug Goehring. “There have also been reports of this plant being sold at some retail locations in the state.”

Goehring urged producers to report wormwood infestations to local county or city weed officers, and he also asked retail and wholesale garden suppliers to stop selling absinth wormwood.

A perennial, flowering plant with a strong sage odor, absinth wormwood is covered with small, inconspicuous hairs that give it a grayish appearance. It usually grows to about 3 feet in height but can be as tall as 5 feet. Its leaves are light green to olive-colored, 2 to 5 inches long and divided into two or three deeply lobed leaflets. Small, inconspicuous yellow flowers appear in July and August.

Each plant produces several thousand seeds and can also reproduce by its roots.

It rapidly infests pasture and rangeland as well as disturbed sites and roadsides, reducing available forage. It is also found in cities, especially in abandoned lots that are not regularly mowed. Absinthe wormwood taints the milk of cows that eat the plant. Some people are allergic to the plant.

North Dakota reported 554,175 acres infested with absinth wormwood in 2008.

Absinth wormwood is readily controlled by a variety of herbicides, including picloram, dicamba, clopyralid, aminopyralid, glyphosate and 2,4-D. Application during late July through the end of August produces the best long-term results. If herbicide application is difficult, mowing plants before seed set is recommended. Research in now underway to find biological agents to control absinth wormwood.

Also known as American wormwood, common wormwood, mugwort, madderwort and wormwood sage, absinth wormwood was first brought to this country in the early 19th century from Europe where it is cultivated  for medicinal purposes, as an ornamental plant and as a flavoring. It is an ingredient and gives its name to the once-notorious alcoholic beverage, absinthe, until recently banned in this country because of its supposed narcotic properties.

Absinth wormwood has been on North Dakota’s noxious weed list since at least 1971. State law requires landowners to control the spread of noxious weeds on their property. Producers should contact their local weed board for cost-share assistance.

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MEDIA: For more information, please call Ted Quanrud at (701) 328-2233 or tquanrud@nd.gov.

Read more information on absinth wormwood (Artemisia absinthium L.).

Click here to learn more about North Dakota Noxious Weeds