What is "artemisia abrotanum"

Southernwood \South"ern*wood`\, n. (Bot.) A shrubby species of wormwood ( Artemisia Abrotanum) having aromatic foliage. It is sometimes used in making beer.

Artemisia abrotanum (southernwood, lad's love, southern wormwood) is a species of flowering plants in the sunflower family. It is native to Eurasia and Africa but naturalized in scattered locations in North America. Other common names include: old man, boy's love, oldman wormwood, lover's plant, appleringie, garderobe, Our Lord's wood, maid's ruin, garden sagebrush, European sage, sitherwood and lemon plant.

Southernwood has a strong camphor-like odour and was historically used as an air freshener or strewing herb. It forms a small bushy shrub, which is widely cultivated by gardeners. The grey-green leaves are small, narrow and feathery. The small flowers are yellow. It can easily be propagated by cuttings, or by division of the roots.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.