Fauna
Plant

African Wormwood

Artemisia afra

Also known as Wildeals, Lengana, Umhlonyane, African Sagebrush

African wormwood forms dense, multi-stemmed clumps of feathery silver-grey foliage that release a pungent, herbaceous camphor scent when brushed. It produces inconspicuous sprays of nodding yellow-green florets along terminal branch tips in late summer and autumn. Thriving along mountain slopes, stream banks, and forest margins, this resilient shrub plays a vital role in African traditional medicine and soil stabilization.

AromaticMedicinalShrub
African Wormwood reference
(c) Nicola van Berkel, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Nicola van Berkel · cc-by-sa
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Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Key facts
Diet & preyAutotrophic (photosynthesis)
Predators
  • Browsing ungulates
  • Aphids
  • Beetle larvae
ThreatsOverharvesting for traditional medicine and habitat clearance
HabitatsMontane grassland, forest margins, fynbos, and rocky slopes
Life span10–20 years
Classification
  1. OrderAsterales
  2. FamilyAsteraceae
  3. GenusArtemisia
  4. SpeciesArtemisia afra
Range & activity
Range data is not available yet.
Safe observation
Interaction riskHigh
  1. Low
  2. Moderate
  3. High
  4. Very high
Why interaction risk is high
Contains concentrated thujone and essential oils; toxic to pets and hazardous to humans if ingested.
Why it is dangerous
Leaves and stems contain neurotoxic terpenes including thujone and camphor, which cause vomiting, tremors, and seizures if eaten in quantity.
How to recognize a risky encounter
Look for deeply divided, fern-like leaves with silvery-white woolly undersides and a powerful herbal camphor smell.
What to do
Do not chew or consume wild leaves; wash hands after handling foliage if you have sensitive skin.
Responsible observation
  • Scent identification: Gently brush the leaves with your fingertips to release the signature camphoraceous aroma without breaking stems.
  • Observation distance: Admire wild specimens in their natural setting without harvesting wild roots or stems.
Related species
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