Absinth wormwood added to South Dakota noxious weed list

The South Dakota Weed & Pest Control Commission added Absinth wormwood, also known as wormwood sage, to the statewide noxious weed list. Absinth wormwood is a minty fragranced perennial with heavy, fibrous roots that requires early spring or fall detection.

Landowners are now required to control Absinth wormwood on their property and should be prepared to control the noxious weed during the 2021 growing season. Effective control measures include herbicide treatment prior to the plant reaching 12 inches tall. In 2020, county weed and pest boards reported approximately 178,000 acres infested with Absinth wormwood in South Dakota.

Previously, Absinth wormwood was listed as a locally noxious weed in more than 40 counties. Adding it to the statewide noxious weed list allows for uniform control across the state. Absinth wormwood joins six other statewide noxious weeds including Canada thistle, hoary cress, leafy spurge, perennial sow thistle, purple loosestrife, and salt cedar.

In other action, the commission removed Russian Knapweed from the statewide noxious weed list due its limited presence in South Dakota.