Mugwort Tea Artemisia vulgaris Tea

LATIN NAME: Artemisia vulgaris

COMMON NAME: Mugwort

Mugwort is the tall, silvery herb of the waysides, known to the old households for a very long time. The vigorous, upright, perennial herb carries the deeply divided, dark-green leaves with the silvery, woolly undersides, and the small, reddish-brown flower heads open in the long, dense spikes through the late summer, with the fine, aromatic scent of the whole plant filling the air. It is a fine, easy, generous herb of the sunny border and the wild garden, and the old leaves have a long record of use in the teas and the old customs of the region. It is a plant of the open, sunny, well-drained ground.

Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology

Mugwort has carved a quiet but solid place in the plant science, and the herb has been studied for the deeply divided leaves and the fine, aromatic character of the whole plant. The oils and the bitter principles of the leaves, which have a long record of use in the teas and the old practice of the region, have been examined closely, and the plant keeps showing up in the work on the aromatic herbs and the traditional remedies. The silvery, woolly undersides of the leaves and the dense, reddish-brown spikes have also made it a fine garden herb, and it is a regular subject of the studies of the wayside plants of the temperate world.

Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications

Mugwort does a lot of work in the garden and the old households. The deeply divided, silvery-backed leaves and the fine, aromatic scent give the tall herb a fine, generous presence in the sunny border and the wild garden, and the leaves have a long record of use in the teas and the old customs of the region. The dense, reddish-brown flower heads feed the late-summer insects, and the vigorous plant is an easy, dependable filler of the wild corners. It has been written about in the herbal and the horticultural papers for the aromatic leaves and the long history, and it is a fine, easy herb of the open, sunny, well-drained garden.

Mugwort is one of the most generous of the wayside herbs, and the deeply divided leaves with the silvery, woolly undersides give the tall plant a fine, two-tone look in the garden. The dense, reddish-brown spikes of the flower heads keep the plant interesting through the late summer, and the aromatic scent of the crushed leaves has been a familiar smell of the old households for a very long time.

To grow the mugwort from seed, sow the fine seeds over the surface of pots of moist, free-draining soil and press them in lightly without covering them, keep them in a bright, open spot and water gently. The seedlings appear within a couple of weeks and grow on fast. With the sun and the well-drained ground, the silvery, aromatic leaves will be there through the season.

Mugwort tea is used to treat stomach ailments such as indigestion, constipation and bloating. It has long been used as a remedy to treat worms and intestinal parasites in both people and animals. Herbalists and alternative healers also recommend using the tea to bring on a late or absent menstrual cycle. North American Native herbal traditions used Mugwort tea to stimulate dream intensity as well. Other uses include treating gout, nervousness, colds, asthma, depression and insomnia.

Compounds in Mugwort leaves help relieve constipation, diarrhea, bloating, indigestion and other ailments associated with the digestive tract. Mugwort tea is used to help improve digestion and the production of digestive juices that help return the digestive system to a normal balance. The anti-fungal and anti-bacterial elements of the tea help treat stomach problems brought on by harmful bacteria, a plight often suffered by travelers.

This type of tea also is a vermifuge and often considered a standard herbal treatment for intestinal worms. Intestinal worms can weaken the body by taking important nutrients from the system. In extreme cases, worms can cause severe illness and even death in people and animals. A strong tea made from the leaves and flowers of Mugwort can help slow and prevent infestations of intestinal worms.

Delayed menstruation or the absence of a menstrual cycle also is commonly treated with Mugwort tea. Compounds in the tea help to balance hormonal levels and regulate an irregular menstrual cycle. Pregnant women should avoid Mugwort tea, as the same compounds that help stimulate a late period, can also bring on a miscarriage. Chances of a miscarriage are highest, if the tea is consumed in the first three months of pregnancy. During childbirth, however, Mugwort tea can be beneficial by helping to stimulate contractions.

The Magikal powers/uses of Mugwort are Strength, Psychic Powers, Protection, Prophetic Dreams, Healing and Astral Projection.