Artemisia spans temperate regions from the Northern Hemisphere to South America and South Africa, with roughly 300 species occupying the dry, sunny, infertile ground that other plants vacate. The genus earns its place in gardens primarily through foliage: leaves range from ferny and finely divided to broad and coarsely cut, typically in shades of green to silver-gray, often covered in velvety hairs that give the plants their characteristic soft texture. Many species contain thujones and other aromatic terpenoids that produce the distinctive fragrance, pleasant in the garden and offensive to deer and herbivorous mammals, which generally leave Artemisia alone. The small, inconspicuous yellow-white flowers that appear in summer add little ornamentally but can produce viable seed, so deadheading is advisable where self-seeding is unwanted.

Growth spreads by rhizomatous roots, and in some northern U.S. regions certain species naturalize into disturbed areas with weedy persistence. In the garden this is managed by situating plants where their spread is welcome, in dry borders, rock gardens, xeriscapes, or at the front of cottage garden plantings where their silvery color creates contrast or unifies a composition. Wet soils and humid climates are the persistent challenge: Artemisia rots readily in poorly drained conditions and can decline during hot, humid summers. The leaves of many species retain their fragrance after cutting and drying, making them traditional materials for potpourris and sachets.