Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) - Wormwood herb plants have grey-green fine foliage. They are considered to be a half shrub with numerous yellow flowers in spires. The wormwood leaves have a very aromatic fragrance and a bitter taste. It is also been used for centuries as a medicinal herb and as a tea/spray to help keep slugs and snails away. Wormwood is a perennial herb which is hardy to zone 4. It is one of the few herbs capable of growing in poor soil with full sun to part shade. Pruning is usually done in fall. If you live in a location with real hot summers, wormwood will sometimes go dormant in the summer heat and sprout again when cooler temperatures return. To harvest wormwood for future use in insect teas, dried arrangements or sachets you will pick the upper portions of the stalks when they are in full flower and there is no moisture on the plant. Generally, flowering occurs after July in most locations. Be sure to pick any damaged leaves off your stalks. Tie the stem ends together in bundles. Hang them upside down in a shady spot and let them air dry like this for a few days. After they are dried, a good idea is to take the wormwood and put into glass containers with tightly screwed down lids and store in a dark place.