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Friday - February 20, 2009

From: Pflugerville, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Poisonous Plants
Title: Is Artemesia ludoviciana allelopathic?
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

I recently read that Artemisia ludoviciana is allelopathic to some other plants. I planted some last fall between a rusty blackhaw viburnum and a Mexican buckeye. Do you know whether it is phytotoxic to either of these? My viburnum has been thriving and I would not want to wait for it to show distress before pulling out the Artemisia.

ANSWER:

According to this USDA Natural Conservation Service website on Artemesia ludoviciana, it has no known allelopathic qualities. We did further research on Artemisia ludoviciana (white sagebrush), which is native to Texas and could find no indications that it had that ability. On the other hand, Viburnum lentago (nannyberry), although native to North America, is not native to Texas, so if it starts showing signs of distress, we don't think you can blame the Artemisia, but rather stresses caused by being non-native to your area. Ungnadia speciosa (Mexican buckeye) is also native to Texas; if you were going to remove one of the three plants, we would vote for the Viburnum to go, as the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is focused on the use of plants native not only to North America but to the area in which they are being grown.

Artemisia ludoviciana (white sagebrush)

Ungnadia speciosa (Mexican buckeye)

Viburnum lentago (nannyberry) - pictures

Artemisia ludoviciana