Common Name: Mugwort

General Information

Artemisia vulgaris is a perennial plant usually growing 60 - 160cm tall but sometimes smaller. The plant has a woody, rhizomatous rootstock, usually producing several erect, more or less branched stems[, ].
The plant has a long history of herbal use, especially as an anthelmintic and a tonic for the digestive system - it is still used in modern herbalism, and also as a food and source of materials. It is often cultivated, mainly as a medicinal plant for use as a vermifuge. The plant is also grown as an ornamental, some named forms have been developed.
Artemisia vulgaris often escapes from cultivation and has become naturalized in many areas outside its native range.

Known Hazards

The plant might be poisonous in large doses[].
The plant contains potentially allergenic sesquiterpene lactones. Skin contact with the plant can cause dermatitis or other allergic reactions in some people[, ].

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Eurasia - from the Atlantic to Afghanistan, China and the Russian Far East. Widely naturalized elsewhere.

Habitat

Common on hedgebanks and waysides, uncultivated and waste land[, , ]. Roadsides, slopes, canyons, forest margins, forest steppes, subalpine steppes; at elevations from 1,500 - 3,800 metres[].

Properties

Weed Potential	Yes
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Perennial
Height	1.20 m
Pollinators	Wind
Cultivation Status	Cultivated, Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Easily grown in a well-drained circumneutral or slightly alkaline loamy soil, preferring a sunny position and a moist soil[, , ]. Plants are longer lived, more hardy and more aromatic when they are grown in a poor dry soil[]. Tolerates a pH in the range 4.8 to 8.2. Established plants are drought tolerant[].
The sub-species Artemisia vulgaris parviflora. Maxim., is the form that is eaten in China[].
There are some named varieties[]. 'White' is a taller plant than the type species, growing to 1.5 metres. It has a strong, rather resinous or 'floral' taste similar to chrysanthemum leaves and is used in soups or fried as a side dish[].
Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw or cooked[, , , , ]. Aromatic and somewhat bitter[]. Their addition to the diet aids the digestion and so they are often used in small quantities as a flavouring, especially with fatty foods[, ]. They are also used to give colour and flavour to glutinous-rice dumplings (Mochi)[, ]. The young shoots are used in spring[]. In Japan the young leaves are used as a potherb[].

The dried leaves and flowering tops are steeped into tea[]. They have also been used as a flavouring in beer, though fell into virtual disuse once hops came into favour[].

The rhizome is edible[]. Used as 'namul' in Korea - this is a cooked side dish prepared by steaming or blanching the vegetables, placing them in small serving bowls with sesame oil seasoning and serving them at room temperature[].
The above reports refer specifically to Artemisia selengensis Turcz ex Besser - this taxon is generally recognized as a synonym of Artemisia vulgaris, but is treated as distinct in the Flora of China[, ].

Medicinal

Mugwort has a long history of use in herbal medicine especially in matters connected to the digestive system, menstrual complaints and the treatment of worms[]. It is slightly toxic, however, and should never be used by pregnant women, especially in their first trimester, since it can cause a miscarriage[, ]. Large, prolonged dosage can damage the nervous system[].

All parts of the plant are anthelmintic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, carminative, cholagogue, diaphoretic, digestive, emmenagogue, expectorant, nervine, purgative, stimulant, slightly tonic and used in the treatment of women's complaints[, , , , , , , ].
The leaves are also said to be appetizer, diuretic, haemostatic and stomachic[, , ]. They can be used internally or externally[]. An infusion of the leaves and flowering tops is used in the treatment of nervous and spasmodic affections, sterility, functional bleeding of the uterus, dysmenorrhoea, asthma and diseases of the brain[, ]. The leaves have an antibacterial action, inhibiting the growth of Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus typhi, B. dysenteriae, streptococci, E. coli, B. subtilis, Pseudomonas etc[].
The leaves, placed inside the shoes, are said to be soothing for sore feet[].
The compressed dried leaves and stems are used in moxibustion[, , , , ]. Another report says that the down from the leaves is used[].
The leaves are harvested in August and can be dried for later use[].

The stem is also said to be antirheumatic, antispasmodic, and stomachic[].

The roots are tonic and antispasmodic[]. They are said to be one of the best stomachics[].
The roots are harvested in the autumn and dried for later use[].

Agroforestry Uses:

Mugwort is an aggressive and invasive plant[], it inhibits the growth of nearby plants by means of root secretions[, ].

Other Uses

The fresh or the dried plant repels insects, it can be used as a spray but caution is advised since it can also inhibit plant growth[]. A weak tea made from the infused plant is a good all-purpose insecticide[]. An essential oil from the plant kills insect larvae[].

The plant cantians essential oil. The concentration and the contents of this oil can vary considerably according to the region in which the plant grows, but it generally contains cineole, alpha-thujone and borneol[].

The down on the leaves makes a good tinder for starting fires[].
The bark is said to be filamentous and to give a fibre similar to hemp (Corchorus species)[]

Propagation

Seed - surface sow from late winter to early summer in a greenhouse and do not allow the compost to dry out. When large enough to handle, prick out the seedlings into individual pots. If growth is sufficient, they can be planted out into their permanent positions in the summer, otherwise grow them on in a cold frame for their first winter and then plant them out in the spring.
Division in spring or autumn.
Basal cuttings in late spring. Harvest the young shoots when about 10 - 15cm long, pot up in a lightly shaded position in a greenhouse or cold frame and plant them out when well rooted. Very easy.