What does artemisia mean?
Artemisia is the name of a large genus of aromatic plants in the daisy family, encompassing well-known species such as wormwood, mugwort, sagebrush, and tarragon. These plants are typically characterized by bitter-tasting leaves, often silvery or gray-green foliage, and strong scents produced by their oils. Gardeners prize certain artemisias for their ornamental, feathery foliage, while others have long histories in herbal medicine, flavoring, and cooking—tarragon being a familiar culinary herb. The genus is also scientifically significant: the antimalarial drug artemisinin, whose discovery earned a Nobel Prize, derives from Artemisia annua, or sweet wormwood. The name honors the Greek goddess Artemis, reflecting the plant's ancient association with herbal tradition. In everyday use, "artemisia" appears most often in gardening, botany, and discussions of traditional medicine, giving it a somewhat specialist tone, though its connection to familiar plants like sagebrush makes it broadly relevant.
nounAny of a large genus (Artemisia) of chiefly aromatic herbs and shrubs of the daisy family, including wormwood, mugwort, sagebrush, and tarragon.
- A plant of the genus Artemisia, comprising aromatic herbs and shrubs such as wormwood, mugwort, sagebrush, and tarragon.
"Silver-leaved artemisia lined the border of the herb garden."
"She planted silvery artemisia along the sunny edge of the herb garden, where its feathery foliage contrasted with darker greens."
"The antimalarial compound artemisinin was originally isolated from Artemisia annua, a species long used in traditional Chinese medicine."
The plural follows the regular English pattern; it refers to multiple individual plants rather than different species, which are named individually.
"Several artemisias self-seeded among the gravel paths, softening the stonework with their silver foliage."
The antimalarial drug that earned a Nobel Prize—artemisinin—was extracted from sweet wormwood, a member of the artemisia genus, using a recipe found in a centuries-old Chinese text.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of artemisia
The word artemisia comes from New Latin, the scientific Latin used in botanical naming, where it serves as the genus name Artemisia. The genus was named after Artemis, the ancient Greek goddess associated with wild plants, hunting, and healing, with the Latin adjectival suffix -ia forming the name. The term entered broader English usage through botanical literature, and it remains the standard scientific and horticultural name for the genus today.
Related word forms
How artemisia is actually used
In botanical and horticultural writing, "artemisia" usually refers to the genus and appears capitalized and italicized when used as a formal scientific name (Artemisia). In general gardening contexts it is often written lowercase for any plant of the group. The word carries a slightly scholarly or specialist register outside gardening and pharmacology.
Easily confused with artemisia
"Artemesia" is simply a common misspelling of the botanical name "artemisia," which has an i in the third syllable.
"Artemis" is the ancient Greek goddess after whom the plant genus artemisia was named, not the plant itself.