Sweet Annie (Artemisia) in Zone 10a & 10b

Artemisia annua

Yes, sweet annie (artemisia) grows in zones 10a and 10b. Start seeds indoors Dec 19–Dec 26 and plant out Jan 30–Feb 6.

When to plant sweet annie (artemisia) in zone 10b

Zones 10a and 10b share the same average frost dates, so this page covers both.

Method: Either: Start indoors for an earlier harvest, or direct-sow outside for less fuss. Either works.

Start indoorsDec 19–Dec 26
Direct sow / transplant outsideJan 30–Feb 6
Estimated bloomMay 10–May 17 (~100 days after planting)

Spacing: 1 per square foot (square-foot-gardening spacing). Mature height: 4-6 ft.

Plant alongside it in zone 10b

These go outside within two weeks of sweet annie (artemisia) in zone 10b, so one planting day can cover them.

Sweet Annie (Artemisia)
Photo: Pau Pámies Grácia via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped.

Sweet Annie is not the culinary tarragon already covered on this site, though the two share a genus. This one is grown for its sweetly aromatic, feathery foliage, a favorite for wreaths and as a fragrant filler in dried arrangements.

How sweet annie (artemisia) fits zone 10's season

Zone 10b's frost-free window runs about 324 days, from January 30 to December 20. Sweet annie (artemisia) needs about 100 days from sowing to first bloom.

Sweet Annie (Artemisia) planting windows in every zone

Zone 10b is highlighted. Useful for comparing against a neighbouring zone, or for a garden somewhere else.

ZoneStart indoorsSow or plant outBloom
2a & 2bApr 8–Apr 15May 20–May 27Aug 28–Sep 4
3a & 3bApr 18–Apr 25May 30–Jun 6Sep 7–Sep 14
4a & 4bApr 3–Apr 10May 15–May 22Aug 23–Aug 30
5a & 5bMar 29–Apr 5May 10–May 17Aug 18–Aug 25
6a & 6bMar 14–Mar 21Apr 25–May 2Aug 3–Aug 10
7a & 7bFeb 27–Mar 6Apr 10–Apr 17Jul 19–Jul 26
8a & 8bFeb 11–Feb 18Mar 25–Apr 1Jul 3–Jul 10
9a & 9bJan 4–Jan 11Feb 15–Feb 22May 26–Jun 2
10a & 10b (your zone)Dec 19–Dec 26Jan 30–Feb 6May 10–May 17
11a & 11bNov 20–Nov 27Jan 1–Jan 8Apr 11–Apr 18

Bloom dates are about 100 days after the sow or plant-out date, not after starting seeds indoors.

Zone 2 sows before zone 3 here, which looks wrong and is not. USDA zones rank winter cold, not season length, and zone 2 is mostly interior Alaska, where hard winters come with warm summers. More on what a zone measures.

Good companions

No well-established companions for sweet annie (artemisia).

Where to buy sweet annie seeds

Botanical Interests (sweet annie seeds)

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See it growing

Search YouTube for "growing sweet annie (artemisia)" videos → (a live search, not a hand-picked video; results vary and aren't vetted by us)

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Growing Sweet Annie (Artemisia) in USDA zone 10b

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Growing Sweet Annie (Artemisia) in USDA zone 10b: when to start seeds indoors, when to direct-sow, and when to expect a bloom.

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