Plant Profile: Artemesia absinthium

Artemisia absinthium– with it’s feathery, deeply lobed leaves sporting a grey-green top and white belly- conjures imaginative intrigue in the spirit of any beholder.

Artemisia absinthium, commonly known as wormwood, is likely named after the goddess Artemis- god of the hunt and of childbirth. Indeed, common uses for wormwood are as an emmenagogue (a type of plant that can stimulate menstruation), as an internal parasite cleanser and for topical pain relief; the latter two uses I’m sure any ancient or modern-day hunter could appreciate. 

As with most ancient herbs, there is bountiful lore on this beautiful, quicksilvery plant. Are you curious? Some allege it is helpful in stimulating creativity. Others believe it can be employed to protect the user from bad energy being sent to them by directing it back to the sender. Others use wormwood in their processes involving divination and summoning visions.

Wormwood has shown pest repelling properties so try hanging dried bundles in closets and hallways as a deterrent.

The ‘absinthium’ in Artemisia absinthium derives from the Greek ‘absinthion’ meaning ‘undrinkable’, delineating the distinct bitterness of wormwood.
Given the bitterness of wormwood is not particularly palatable, it can be used as a digestive bitter and a small drop on your tongue twenty minutes before a meal is enough to stimulate your digestive system thus preventing upset. However, there are more gentle bitter herbs I would suggest for this purpose before reaching for wormwood; dandelion root or chamomile, for example.
While wormwood was popular with herbalists in ancient times, it is not the safest herb in the pharmacopeia. It should never be used for more than two weeks at a time for any purpose, even in low doses. If you take it upon yourself to use this herb please do so with caution and consult a physician or community herbalist for more information.

So what exactly is it about wormwood which causes us to use caution when using this plant medicinally?

A. absinthium contains a chemical called thujone which can cause seizures and other symptoms in larges doses. 
Thujone is purported to be the source of absinthe’s believed psychoactive properties- and we can’t talk about wormwood without talking about absinthe, can we?

In 2007, the FDA changed their legality regarding absinthe ruling that although absinthe may be sold, all Absinthe must be thujone “free”, meaning it contain less than 10 mg/l, leading to claims absinthe is “no longer” psychoactive.

Yet absinthe, a high proof alcohol who’s mental image conjures up visions of artists gone mad and psychedelic encounters with green fairies, may not have ever been what you thought it to be in the first place. 

Absinthe originated in Switzerland in the late 18th century and rose to popularity as an alcoholic drink during the late 19th – early 20th century France, particularly among the bohemian class. 
Around this time conservatives and prohibitionists began to oppose the drink, insisting it was a dangerous, highly addictive psychoactive drug and spinning audaciously fabricated tales of other dangers. By 1915, absinthe had been banned in the United States as well as several other countries. In the mid 1970’s, an unscientific letter was released claiming thujone connected to the same receptors in the human brain as THC giving it the same psychoactive properties as cannabis. Although later debunked, the damage had been done, further securing the nail in absinthe’s coffin. 

While not claiming that there aren’t dangers in alcohol consumption, absinthe, much like cannabis, was vilified based on a political agenda.

Now, thanks to modern scientific research, we know that despite thujone’s toxic potential there is no evidence it can cause hallucinations or psychoactivity, even in high doses. 

[An interesting aside I would just *love* to note is the FDA’s current ruling requiring absinthe’s thujone content to be less than 10 mg/l seems like an erroneous safety standard considering sage and sage oil, which can be up to 50% thujone, are on the FDA’s list of “generally recognized as safe”. 
Oh well, you do you, FDA.]

If you have some absinthe in your cupboard you’ve been curious about, just know the only “effect” you’ll get from it is drunkenness- sorry to disappoint. Also, now is the time to call out your friend who pretended to be hallucinating the last time y’all knocked back a couple of absinthes at the pub.

If you would like to grow some wormwood of your own, prepare a bed of nitrogen rich soil in full to partial sun. Plants can be started from root division in autumn or from sown seed. It can also be propagated from cuttings. Plant some in the fall and it will come up for you in the spring! Many home gardeners enjoy adding wormwood to their moon gardens or planting around the edges of their garden, at least 2-3 feet from other plants, to discourage weeds and insect larvae. Wormwood can deter insects and pests, but remember there are many beneficial insects to be invited into your garden so make sure to follow the spacing rule so as not to discourage their habitation. Wormwood also produces a growth-inhibiting chemical which washes off the leaves into the soil, so it is wise to not keep wormwood in the same areas as young plants and other seedlings.