Description
Artemisia vulgaris | Common Mugwort
Common Mugwort, also called Felon Herb, Sailors Tobacco, Wild Wormwood, Riverside Wormwood, Chrysanthemum Weed, Old Uncle Henry, Naughty Man, Old Man, St. John’s Plant, and Moxa Plant, is an upright rhizomatous herbaceous perennial herb that’s native to Europe and throughout northern Asia, from Russia to Japan and Korea.
The name ‘Mugwort’ is thought to originate from its use in flavoring beverages like beer before the widespread use of hops. For many centuries, this species has been mainly used for treating gynecological ailments and gastrointestinal diseases. During the Middle Ages it was called the ‘mother of herbs’. Today it is used as a raw material for many different applications due to the presence of its essential oil, flavonoids, and sesquiterpenoids lactones and their associated biological activities.
Artemisia vulgaris is characterized by an aroma that is readily released when the leaves are crushed. The stems are straight, slightly wavy, or branched, having a brown color towards the bottom, which becomes woody with age, while also appearing green or purple further up the stalk. The leaves grow densely, and alternately, primarily on the upper parts of the stem where they take on a feathery appearance in late summer to early fall. Small, almost bare, yellowish or reddish-brown discoid flowers are embedded in small baskets that form heavily branched leafy panicles with achenes that follow the flowers.
Mugwort does well in partial to full sun and moderately dry, poor soils. It is a robust and hardy plant, known for its ability to thrive in drought conditions. It does not persist in wet soils, as it is susceptible to root rot. Common Mugwort is most commonly found growing in disturbed habitats, meadows, valleys, and roadsides in gravel and on tough ground. Grows 4-6 ft tall and spreads primarily by rhizomes, which can form large, fast-spreading patches 4 ft wide or more.
The foliage, stems, and flowers of Mugwort are best harvested at their peak of potency when the plants are in early bud, which is typically during the peak of summer.
Artemisia vulgaris seeds germinate best with cold-moist stratification for 2 weeks before sowing, or can be spread outside during the autumn and winter months to germinate in spring.
Attracts pollinators. Deer resistant.
Type: Perennial
Sun exposure: Full sun to part shade
Mature height: 4-6 ft
Mature width: 5-6 ft
Hardiness zones: 4-10
*Please note: We cannot ship Artemisia vulgaris Mugwort seeds to Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York at this time. Checkout is disabled for this product in these states.
