Sweet Annie, When Do I Harvest It?

Question

Here is a photograph of my Sweet Annie and I am not sure when to trim it back for fall.
It has small buds on it now and a couple of shoots are flowering. Do I harvest iit before or after the buds open - this is my first time growing it. I appreciate any help with it!
Smiles, Cyndi

Gail Salminen · Answer

@ByLightOfMoon I found a site with good information - http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/herbs/wormwood/wormwood-plant-growing-sweet-annie.htm Others may have more information. The one thing I noted was that this can be an invasive plant so you may want to start the control now by gettting rid of some of the seed pods. Look next spring to make sure you don't have an over abundance of them next year.

Douglas Hunt · Answer

According to the Royal Botanic Garden, Kew, you should be able to harvest in November: http://www.kew.org/plants-fungi/Artemisia-annua.htm

Mary Weets · Answer

what do you harvest it for??

E. Menard · Answer

harvest some of it now and see if the buds open upon drying (hang upside down) you'll know within 3-5 days if the buds will open. at the same time, keep a daily watch on the remaining plant, once the flower buds open, the color will be a slight yellow-mustard. harvest at that stage.
we live in south east ohio and I've already gathered and made two wreaths, using a metal coat hanger for the larger size and a wide mouth canning ring for the smaller size. make sure, no matter what the finished product will be, that your bundles or bouquets are really full and 'chubby-like ' because it will shrink upon drying.

E. Menard · Answer

you harvest it for the aroma and as a Autumn addition to any arrangement. its a great moth repellant in any drawer, cupboard, container that might be prone to a closed-up-space-kinda odor. once you find it, remember the spot and go back year after year to gather it. also, sow some in your own garden spot for just in case the area is sprayed by the county, which happened this year in our area. :(

Tanya Peterson Felsheim · Answer

Never heard of it or its properties! Sounds like something I should look into unless it doesn't like the pacific northwest!

Debbie Darche · Answer

D. Darche leeds, al. It looks like the awful weeds I can't kill that come up in my dog yards. I have pulled and sprayed every year but they keep coming back in the same area. Is there another name for this plant?

Anna Marie Gustafson · Answer

This plant is airy, gracefully branching and very aromatic--love this one in the garden--will let some of it go to seed for spreading and will harvest some for wreaths...beautiful against our home for color and adds a bit of ht to out garden at 4 ft currently...will not stand well in high winds, we staked it when we noted this recently...

Anna Marie Gustafson · Answer

OOPS, forgot to mention, Sweet Annie is the plant in the back--beautiful green...

Valeria Kenny · Answer

Cyndi- what are you using the wine bottles for? I use them and the big wine jugs for watering.

Valeria Kenny · Answer

Took this from the link in the first post- I had no idea it was wormwood! 'There are many varieties of Artemisia, also known as mugwort and wormwood plant. One of the most common varieties grown for its sweet-smelling, silvery foliage is sweet wormwood (A. annua) or sweet Annie plant'

Patricia · Answer

we harvest in late September and October. my question is 'how to get rid of the bugs that hide in it? can it be submerged in water and be ok?

Gary Griffith · Answer

according to science... a weed is any non native plant to your region. So saying a weed is something we don't want in our garden is false our gardens are full of weeds we like!

Ursula · Answer

Sweet Annie should be harvested when the buds start to open and the flowers begin to turn yellow around late summer. You should cut your plant in the morning or evening. This plant grows quickly and gets woody so you will probably need looping shears or a pruning saw. Make sure to cut the dead flowerheads if you don’t cut it before it blooms, otherwise it will self sow.

Here is my article about how to grow sweet Annie:

https://herbamedicine.com/sweet-annie-artemisia/