Artemesia alba Cola

Description

Artemisia alba ‘Cola’ – cola plant

Botanical name: Artemisia alba ‘Cola’
Common names: Cola plant
Family: Asteraceae (daisy family)
Plant type: Semi-evergreen aromatic perennial
Habit: Bushy, upright
Pot size: 1 litre pot
Eventual size: Approx. 30–60cm tall × 30cm spread
Foliage: Fine, feathery, ferny green aromatic foliage with a distinctive cola-like scent
Flowers: Insignificant small yellowish flowers in summer; grown for its aromatic foliage
Scent: Strongly aromatic foliage with a cola scent
Aspect / light: Full sun
Soil: Well-drained; poor to average; dislikes wet; any pH
Hardiness: RHS H5 (hardy, to about −15°C); USDA zones 5–8
Exposure: Open, hot, dry, sunny
Native range: Species of the genus native to Europe
Toxicity / pet & child safety: Generally considered non-toxic; grown as an aromatic novelty rather than for eating

Artemisia alba ‘Cola’, the cola plant, is a fun aromatic herb with fine, feathery green foliage that releases a distinctive cola scent when brushed. Drought-tolerant and neat, it is a novelty for sunny borders and pots.

GardenAdvice notes

A delightful novelty herb, the cola plant is grown entirely for its remarkable aroma — brush the fine, feathery green foliage on a warm day and it releases an unmistakable scent of cola. Neat, aromatic and drought-tolerant, it thrives in hot, dry, sunny positions and makes a fun talking point in a herb garden, sensory planting or container.

Growing & planting

Plant in spring in well-drained soil in full sun — it thrives on poor, dry soils and dislikes rich, wet ground. Ideal for gravel, sunny borders, sensory and herb gardens, and containers. Improve heavy soil with grit. Space about 30cm apart.

Care & maintenance

Low-maintenance. Trim it over after flowering, or in spring, to keep it neat and bushy and to encourage fresh aromatic growth. Water only while establishing; thereafter it is drought-tolerant. Keep it on the dry side, especially over winter, to avoid rot.

Propagation

• Cuttings: Take softwood cuttings in early summer.
• Division: Divide established plants in spring.

Pests & diseases

Generally trouble-free in a sunny, well-drained spot. Its main enemy is winter wet, which causes rot. Otherwise little troubled by pests or disease.

Uses in the garden

A fun addition to herb and sensory gardens, gravel and sunny borders, and containers, especially where children can brush the foliage and enjoy the surprising cola scent.

Wildlife value

The summer flowers offer minor value to insects; the plant is grown chiefly for its novel aromatic foliage.

Toxicity & safety

The cola plant is generally regarded as non-toxic and is grown as an aromatic novelty rather than for eating.

GardenAdvice tip

The cola plant is a guaranteed hit in a sensory or children’s garden — brush the feathery leaves on a warm day and you really do get a whiff of cola. Grow it somewhere sunny and dry where people will pass and touch it, keep it on the lean, dry side, and trim it after flowering to keep it neat and the aromatic new growth coming.

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