Parts Most Frequently Used: Whole Above-ground Plant (Leaves and Tops), Oil

Flavors/Temps: A. absinthium: Very Bitter, Astringent, Cold, Dry. A. annua: Very Bitter, Cold

Caution: Considered safe when used as directed. The compound thujone, found in these plants, can cause convulsions and kidney failure if overdosed.

Key Constituents: Essential oils (including Thujone), Terpenoids (including Azulene, Tanacetone), Sesquiterpines, Flavonoids, Glycosides, Hydroxycoumarins, Polyacetylenes, Tannins, Organic acids. A. annuae (Sweet Wormwood/Qing Hao) also contains Artemisinin.

History/Folklore: Common wormwood (A. absinthium) is well known as an ingredient in the hallucinogenic liqueur absinthe. The liqueur vermouth is made from Roman wormwood (A. pontica), which has a very aromatic flavor. The word “Vermouth” comes from the German word “wermut,” meaning wormwood.

The ancient Egyptians and Greeks used a different recipe for making absinthe, recommended by early physicians as a digestive aid and liver cleanser. Winners of sporting events in Rome drank wine containing wormwood to remind them that victory can be bitter as well as sweet. The genus name, “Artemisia,” is derived from the Greek name for Diana, “Artemis.”

In biblical times, it was seen as a symbol of impending disaster and sorrow.

“Bitter as wormwood” is an old saying that originates from the plant’s very bitter taste.

Roman wormwood (A. pontica) is the most delicate and least potent among all wormwoods. Culpepper considered this variety “excellent for strengthening the stomach and good for treating gout.”

Sea wormwood is said to be particularly useful for “increasing the appetite. Only the fresh, flowery tops and young shoots are recommended; the older leaves and stalks are said to be useless. It is not as strong as the Roman, Common, or Chinese Qing Hao varieties of wormwood.

Qing Hao (A. annuae) is named after the plant’s dark green leaves and its tall stalks. It is a common weed in Southern China. It has a sweet aroma that gives the plant its common western name of “sweet wormwood,” and it has also been used to kill lice, brighten the eyes, and heal itchy scabs and oozing sores as well as ease what the Chinese call “Heat lodged in the Joints”.

One of the largest research efforts for any Chinese herb was undertaken to study the powerful antimalarial effects of Qing Hao (Artemisia annuae) by Professor Yu Youyou in Beijing. The study isolated a new type of sesquiterpene lactone that resolved the problem of drug-resistant malarial strains. The compound was later named artemisinin and is found in the plant’s leaves and at its highest levels when the plant is in flower. This compound has also been found to be excellent for treating certain parasitic diseases(schistosomiasis and clonorchiasis) commonly encountered in China and Africa.

Artemisinin, the active ingredient found in Sweet Wormwood/Qing Hao (Artemisia annuae), has been shown in recent studies to have promising anticancer properties. When this compound combines with iron in the body, it considerably increases cellular damage to cancer cells. Because cancer cells can reproduce rapidly, artemisinin is quickly becoming an adjunct therapy for cancer treatment. In general, 400-800 mg per day, used for 6 months to a year, has been shown to have no negative side effects on healthy cells and to help increase the efficacy of cancer treatments, especially in parts of the world where Western methods may not be available or are too expensive.

The oil produced after the artemisinin has been removed, known as huang hua oil (yellow flower oil), has been shown to possess strong antifungal properties for treating fungi that attack the skin.

In Mexico, the Great Festival of the Goddess of Salt is celebrated by dancing women who wear garlands on their heads made of wormwood.

The compound thujone, found in wormwood, excites the central nervous system and can cause convulsions and other adverse effects if too much is taken.

The plant’s leaves resist putrefaction, allowing them to become a principal ingredient in antiseptic formulas.

According to old folklore traditions, wormwood counters the effects of poisoning by hemlock and toadstools.

Wormwood is the traditional coloring agent for the green dumplings eaten during the Korean Thanksgiving festival
called Chuseok.

An old love charm recommends drying marigold flowers, a sprig of marjoram, thyme, and a little wormwood before
a fire, and then rubbing them into a powder and simmering over a slow fire on St. Luke’s Day. Add a small amount
of honey and vinegar. Anoint yourself with the blend before you go to bed and repeat “St Luke, St. Luke, be kind to
me, in dreams let me my true-love see” three times, and you will then dream of the person who will become your
true love.

The Chinese herb Qing Hao is not recommended for long decocting times as it decreases the herb’s effectiveness.