Artemisia Vulgaris

Chinese Moxa
 

This is a genus of about 300 species of annuals, biennial, perennials, or subshrubs that grow wild in northen temperate regions, western S America, and S Africa. Many artemisias are grown as ornamentals for their finely cut, aromatic, often silver foliage, which makes excellent background material for arrangements and posies. They are easily cultivated, even on poor, dry soils. Several are attractive border plants, especially for white gardens. Artemisia arbrotanum, A. absinthium ‘Lambrook Silver’, and A. arborescens may be grown as informal hedges. Artemisia annua is a large but neat plant with handsome, fragrant foliage, useful for filling gaps in the back of a border or providing contrast to smaller, more colorful plants. Used as an anti-malarial for 2,000 years in the East, its active ingredient, artemisinin (qinghaosu) was isolated in 1972. Synthetics derived from A. annua are now the most promising anti-malarials for drug-resistant strains of the disease. Populations of A. annua in Vietnam have the highest concentration of artemisinin.Various artemisias are used medicinally and include some of the most bitter herbs known. Southernwood (A. abrotanum) has been cultivated since antiquity to repel insects and contagion. It was popular in nosegays (posies carried to ward off infection and unpleasant smells); until the 19th century, a bunch of southernwood and rue was placed in court to protect against the spread of jail fever from the prisoner. Another traditional use was as a cure for baldness: “The ashes [of southernwood] mingled with old salad oil helps those that have their hair fallen and are bald, causing the hair to grow again, either on the head or the beard” (Culpeper, The English Physician Enlarged, 1653). Wormwood (A. absinthium) has been a household remedy since Biblical times, its bitterness becoming a metaphor for the consequences of sin: “For the lips of a strange woman drop as an honeycomb, And her mouth is smoother than oil: But her end is bitter as wormwood” (Proverbs 5:3-4). The word absinthium means “without sweetness”, and refers to the intensely bitter taste. Essential oil of wormwood was an ingredient in absinthe, an alcoholic aperitif first made by Henri Pernod in 1797. Consumption of absinthe became a serious problem in the 19th century, both in Europe and the USA. The use of wormwood oil as a flavoring was banned in various countries, beginning in 1908 with Switzerland, after the discovery that the thujone content is addictive, and in excess causes hallucinations and damage to the central nervous system. Ironically, the common name “wormwood” comes from the German Wermut, “preserver of the mind”, as the herb was thought to enhance mental functions. Today’s successors to absinthe-anisette and vermouth- do not contain thujone, although absinthe liqueurs are enjoying a revival in France, Italy and Spain. Tarragon (A. dracunculus) used to be known as dragon herb, a cure for poisonous stings and bites, hence the species name. Russian tarragon (A dracunculus subsp. dracuculoides is similar in appearance but hardier, with a pungent, less pleasant flavor. Mugwort (A. vulgaris) was important in Druidic and Anglo-Saxon times, being one of the nine herbs used to repel evil and poisons. The common name is from the Anglo-Saxon mucgwrt, “midge plant”, because of its use in repelling insects. It was known as the “Mother of Herbs” and was associated with witchcraft (old goddess religions) and fertility rites. On the Isle of Man mugwort is worn on the national day, July 5 (midsummer day in the Old Calendar), and is known as “Bollan bane”. The herb is mentioned frequently in the first-century CE Greek and Roman writings and appears in Chinese medical literature dating back to c.CE500. It was reputedly planted beside roads by the Romans for soldiers to put in their sandals on long marches. Both the plant and it reputation for soothing sore feet persisted: “if a footman take mugwort and put it into his shoes in the morning he may goe forty miles before noon and not be weary…” (William Coles, The Art of Simpling, 1656). Other wormwoods with medicinal and culinary uses include: A. afra, used in southern Africa for digestive and menstrual problems, and feverish illnesses; A. anomala, used externally in China for burns and inflamed skin; A. apiacea, a fragrant biennial Asian species, used to lower fever, control bleeding, and improve appetite; A. asiatica, used to flavor and color Japanese glutinous rice dumplings (yomogi-mochi); A. cina (Levant wormseed, santonica), one of the oldest and most reliable, though extremely toxic anthelmintics, especially for roundworms in children; A. frigida, used by the Hopi trib in N America to flavor corn; A. genipi (spiked wormwood), an Alpine species used to flavor eau d’absinthe; A. glacialis, for the SW Alps, used to flavor liqueurs and vermouth; A. judaica (semen contra, graines à vers), a Middle Eastern condiment and flavoring for liqueurs; A. pallens (davana), a fragrant Asian species, used in perfumery, food flavoring and ritual; A. princeps (Japanese mugwort, yomogi), an important flavoring herb in Japanese and Korean cuisines; and A. tilesii, an Arctic species with properties similar to codeine, used by Eskimos.

Named for the Greek goddess Artemis, Artemisia is a genus containing about 300 species, although few are grown in gardens. A number of species inhibit other plants, sometimes to the point of death.

Mugwort is a perennial that spreads via rhisozes. It grows to about 3ft (90cm), with deeply incised leaves that are deep green above and grayish white below.

Aromatic, perennial with red-purple stems and deeply cut, dark green leaves, 5-8cm (2-3in) long, with white undersides. Panicles of tiny red-brown flowers appear in summer.

 

Common Name:
Chinese Moxa
Other Names:
Common Mugwort, Felon Herb, Mugwort, Sailor’s Tobacco, St. John’s Plant
Botanical Name:
Artemisia vulgaris/center>
Genus:
Artemisia
Family:
Asteraceae
Native Location:
Northern temperate regions.
Cultivation:
Well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil in sun. Artemisia absinthium, A. a. ‘Lambrook Silver’, and A. lucoviciana tolerate drought. A. capillaris thrives in moist soil and tolerates light shade. Hardiness varies with species; cover marginally hardy plants with loose straw or overwinter plants under cover. In spring, cut back shrubby species near ground level, or remove dead stems and trim to shape. Rust may attack foliage.
Position:
Most species prefer full sun, good drainage and almost neutral soil, (although mugwort tolerates partial shade). As it is strongly insecticidal, use it as a companion plant in the edge of gardens.
Propagation:
By seed sown in spring (annuals, perennials, and A. d. subsp. dracunculoides); by semi-ripe cuttings with a heel in summer (shrubby species); by division in autumn or spring (perennials).
Propagate all perennial artemisias by semi-hardwood cuttings taken from midsummer to autumn, or raise from seed. Propagate rhizomatous species by root division in autumn. Directly sow the annual species A. annua into the garden in spring, or raise as seedlings and transplant at 6 weeks.
Maintenance:
Lightly prune and shape perennial busy artemisias in spring. Prune southernwood heavily in spring. Artemisias are a drought-tolerant group once they are established, and perennial forms have good frost tolerance.
Pests and Diseases:
Wormwoods are rarely troubled by pests and diseases.
Harvest:
By seed sown in spring (annuals, perennials, and A. d. subsp. dracunculoides); by semi-ripe cuttings with a heel in summer (shrubby species); by division in autumn or spring (perennials).
Harvest the leaves as required to use fresh or dried.
Varieties:
Oriental limelight
Has yellow-variegated foliage

Variegated
Has white-flecked foliage.
Height:
60cm-1.7m (2-5½ft)
Width:
30cm-1m (1-3ft)
Hardiness:
Z4-10
History:
Muggiwurti, an Old Germanic phrase meaning “insect plant” or “moth plant”, is the origin of mugwort’s common name as well as a reference to the herb’s oldest use—that of repelling moths and other bugs. Despite this very down-to-earth use—or perhaps because of it—until the Middle Ages mugwort was more associated with magic than with medicine. One of mugwort’s most popular medieval names was Cingulum Sancti Johannis, or “Saint John’s Girdle”. The name pays homage to the belief that John the Baptist wore a girdle of mugwort to protect himself from attack by demons while he was wandering the desert. He certainly didn’t wear it to ward off the pesky locust, which legend also tells us he dined on. Still, mugwort became famous for warding off all manner of other pesky evils: hung over your door, it deflected lightning; hidden under your front step, it drove away traveling salesmen; placed on your mantel, it scared off witches and demons; stuffed in your pillow, it gave you the power of precognitive dreams; put in your shoes, it protected you from exhaustion, sore feet, heat stroke, and the occasional evil eye.
By the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, much of the medieval madness around mugwort’s magical uses had dissipated and the British herbalist John Gerard and Nicholas Culpeper wrote extensively about the herb’s effectiveness in treating anxiety, indigestion, and poor appetite.
Parts Used:
Aerial Parts, Leaves (ai ye)
Properties:
A bitter, aromatic, tonic herb that acts as a digestive stimulant, diuretic, and nerve tonic, and increases perspiration. It stimulates the uterus and expels intestinal parasites.
Medicinal Uses:
Internally for depression with loss of appetite, dyspepsia, threadworm and roundworm infestations, and menstrual complaints (in the West mainly to encourage menstruation; in the East to control uterine bleeding and threatened miscarriage).In traditional Chinese medicine the compressed, dried leaf, known as moxa, is burned briefly on the skin to warm the acupuncture points in cases of internal cold. Used mainly in Ayurvedic medicine for the female reproductive system, nervous complaints, and as a wash for fungal infections. Not given internally to pregnant or lactating women.
Mugwort is used as a digestive stimulant and nerve tonic, and is also used to treat menstrual problems.
Mugwort has antidepressant, appetite-stimulating, calming, digestive, diuretic, sweat-promoting, and tonic properties. It also stimulates the uterus and expels intestinal worms. Mugwort is taken internally for depression, bladder ailments, cramping pain, heavy and scanty menstrual bleeding, indigestion, intestinal worms, menstrual irregularities, poor appetite, stress, and uterine bleeding. Extracts of the fresh leaves are sometimes used externally to treat fungal infections and warts. Mugwort powder may be added to a warm bath to ease rheumatic pain and stiffness.
Preparation:
Mugwort is available as dried herb and powder and in capsules, teas, and tinctures. Consult a qualified medical practitioner about the best way for you to take mugwort.
Culinary Uses:
One of the more palatable wormwoods, used in traditional recipes (especially in the UK, Germany, and Spain) in dishes of eel or carp, and in stuffings for geese, duck, pork and mutton. Used in China and Japan to flavor and color rice cakes and dumplings. Dried leaves and flowering tops used for tea.
Caution:
Do not take mugwort if you are pregnant, nursing, or trying to conceive. Do not exceed recommended dosages. Overconsumption of the herb may result in poisoning.
Warning:
Artemisias, and extracts from them, such as cineole and santonin, are subject to legal restrictions in some countries.
Bibliography:
Encylopedia of Herbs by Deni Brown Copyright &copy: 1995, 2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited pp 130-131, 133-134
The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs by Reader’s Digest Copyright©2009 The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc. Pg 17
The Modern Herbal Primer by Nancy Burke Copyright©2000 Yankee Publishing, Inc. pp. 82-83