Why it's so hard to find Roman Wormwood

[kiwi Bruce]

I made some calls to the local plant stores where I get my herbs for the spring and summer. I was asking specifically for Roman Wormwood (Artemisia pontica), here's what I was told... The demand for the dried herb has gone up due to the number of distilleries wanting to make authentic 19th century style Absinthe, and because the plant is a perennial and takes three to five years to mature, it has become very hard to find. Also it doesn't grow well from seed, so most plants are grown from rhizome cuttings. I'll keep trying and keep you posted if I find a reliable source, but for now it would appear that we may be SOL.

[NZChris]

Have you tried FB distilling and herb groups. I've seen offers of various plant material to other distillers in NZ, including Pontica.

[Bolverk]

We need someone to propagate a whole bunch of clippings so we can each start our absinthe gardens

[NZChris]

When I started making gin and absinthe I also started tracking down botanicals that I could grow or forage. It took at least a year to find a Roman Wormwood.

I nearly lost it last year when that garden got turned over by someone who didn't know what it was and it went from being a pest plant in a large area to one tiny plant that I hope will proliferate and restock my garden.

I have sent someone an Absinthe package that included a RM root, but I don't have any idea how well it went for him. If I lose mine, I can probably find him to ask him to send one back.

[sweeps]

There are quite a few mail order plant suppliers in the US that carry A. pontica starts. Sandy Mush in NC and Companion Plants in Ohio spring to mind. I've dealt with them a few times and always been pleased with them. They both also carry a lot of other interesting plants for absinthe and herbal liqueurs.

Richters up in Canada also carry it (or at least they did the last time I checked), but I've had mixed results with them. Their plants are always good, but their service can be hit or miss.

A. pontica is pretty easy to grow once you get it started. In fact, it's an invasive species in some areas.

[Bolverk]

Sandy mush herbal nursery is local to me (200 mi away)... .might be worth a day trip.

[sweeps]

Hopefully they didn't get hit too badly by Helene.

[Bolverk]

Hopefully they didn't get hit too badly by Helene.

I was just thinking that too

[kiwi Bruce]

There are quite a few mail order plant suppliers in the US that carry A. pontica starts. Sandy Mush in NC and Companion Plants in Ohio spring to mind.

Thank you sweeps! There is still hope to get a plant started in the spring.

[sweeps]

There is (or at least, there was) a supplier in the midwest who had pontica and a few of the other less common Artemisia species. I'm pretty sure I got A. umbelliformis from them, but I don't recall their name and Google is not much help. It's possible that they are not in business any more.

[Yummyrum]

I’ve never really looked into Absinth but we have a Wormwood plant growing very well that we git at the markets from some old fella that sells the weird and wonderful . Are all wormwoods the same ? What is Roman Wormwood ?
Certainly the one we have is growing very fast . LOL , a few weeks ago , the mrs ripped a massive chunk of it out and I put it through the mulcher .

[sweeps]

There are a few different plants with wormwood in their name. Usually when it's used by itself, it refers to Artimesia absinthium, sometimes called common wormwood. That's the one that is part of the holy trinity of absinthe, along with fennel and anise. That's what you've got there.

Roman wormwood, or petite absinthe, is Artemisia pontica. Not suprisingly, it's a smaller, more delicate plant. It's used in the finishing step to add color and additional flavour to absinthe, although it is sometimes also used in the primary maceration

[Yummyrum]

Thanks sweeps