About Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium)

Artemisia absinthium (also known as Absinthe Wormwood, Absinthium, Grand Wormwood or just Wormwood) native of temperate habitats in Asia, Europe and North Africa is one of the rare species of wormwood.

The Artemisia absinthium is an evergreen herb which has a woody and brittle rhizome and straight 0.8-1.2 meter tall, grooved stems with several silvery-green branches. Spiral aestivation with greenish-grey and white ciliated leaves marks this plant. The leaves are also endowed with minute greasy glands, and basal ones grow up to 0.25 m long, bipinnate to tripinnate and have long petioles. The leaves on stem are smaller about 0.5-0.1 m long and have short petioles; upper most leaves at times are bereft of stalks too. The plant grows pale tubular, yellow, flowers which blossom in spherical bent-down clusters and surrounded by leafy branched panicles. The inflorescence starts in early summer and continues upto early autumn, and the fertilization happens through wind. The resulting achenes get dispersed by natural earth force.

Growth and Applications
Artemisia absinthium is easy to grow and breed even in dry mid-weight soil, given a good exposure and fertility. The better nitrogen content in soil, the better the plants grow and can be grafted easily, seeds can also be used to propagate.
Its unique smell makes it apt for employment in anti-pest sprays and repels insect larvae. But since its roots are thick and strong, these plants are counterproductive on surrounding herbs and should be ideally cultivated only at edges of fields. Another domestic application is to use the extract to repel fleas and moths.

Extracts of this plant are also used as subtle taste agent in some wines and alcoholic beverages and sometimes as medicine too. Wormwood extract are not meant for direct consumption and it is foolish to drink it to get "high." It can kill you.

Uses in modern medicine
Dried leaves and flower buds contain silica, thujone, absinthine and anabsinthine, resinous and tannic substances, succinic and malic acid. This can be used in treatment of indigestion and gastritis. It is also used to alleviate the distress of pregnant women during childbirth by preparing a concoction along with tea. Wines are also made by the juice of this herb. Used in a variety of other medical applications such as tincture, oil as a cardiac stimulant, this improves the blood circulation.

A warning though, consuming wormwood oil in 100 percent pure state can prove fatal. It is medicine only in suitable in recommended dosages and under a doctor's supervision.

Etymology and Background
The word "wormwood" is derived from Middle English "wermode" or "wormwode". It came to be known as “wormwood” as it was initially used to eject/ kill intestinal worms from human body.

Wormwood and Absinthe
Wormwood receives a lot of attention in terms of absinthe. Please remember that wormwood is but one of the three herbs (minimum) used to make absinthe. Do not buy absinthe that places a focus on high amounts of wormwood. It will taste like crap and be a complete waste of money.