Botanical Name: Artemisia Vulgaris | Family: Compositae
Common name(s): Mugwort, Moxa, Cronewort
GROWING
- Perennial; herbaceous | Zone 4-8 | 4-5 feet tall | Spikes of whitish green flowers on top of purple stems. Green leaves have silver undersides.
- Full sun/partial shade | Any soil
HARVESTING
Harvest aerial parts any time during the growing season, preferably when blossoming (between July and September)
PREPARATION / DOSAGE
Infusion: Pour 1 cup of boiling water over 1-2 teaspoons of the dried herb. Steep, covered, for 10-15 minutes. Drink 3x/day.
Tincture: 1-4ml 3x/day
MEDICAL
Constituents: bitter principle, essential oil, inulin, resin, tannin
Actions: Anti-spasmodic, bitter tonic, cholagogue, diaphoretic, emmenagogue, hemostatic, nervine tonic, mild narcotic, stimulant, vermifuge
Uses: Menstruation induction and regulation, menstrual cramps, depression, tension, nervousness, insomnia, liver and stomach disorders,
Cautions: Avoid during pregnancy
CHINESE MEDICINE
Bitter, acrid, slightly warm
SOURCES
- The Way of Herbs, Michael Tierra
- Holistic Herbal, David Hoffmann
- Homegrown Herbs, Tammi Hartung
- photo credit: Hannah Lena Puschnig Mugwort via photopin (license)
Mugwort was used in many interesting ways by other cultures. The Chinese use it as part of a technique called moxabustion, where the herb is placed on acupuncture points and burned down to the skin. The Native Americans use the dry leaves for smudging.
