Southernwood is sometimes known as Lads Love. Young leaves occassionally used as a salad herb but have a very strong flavour. A very useful insect repellent and disinfectant can be made from the leaves. A companion plant. Used in pot pourri. Southernwood is indigenous to southern Europe and prefers good garden soils and is adapatable to most positions. It needs to be pruned back annually to at least one third of it’s original size to keep a compact shape. Drought and frost resistant. A perennial plant, growing to 1.5m x 1.5m.