Mugwort

About Mugwort

Mugwort is a natural diva that beautifies the contemporary times. This rich specie of genus Artemisia belongs to the family Asteraceae. It is called by several names that are enlisted below:

Riverside wormwood
Old man
Naughty man
Sailor’s tobacco
Wild wormwood
Old uncle henry
Chrysanthemum weed

Mugwort is honored as one of the eldest herbal allies in traditional western herbalism. This spiritual botanical can reach a height of 3-6 feet with a substantial rhizome system. Its leaves depict harmonized dark green color with trichomes on their underside. The plant gives rise to small florets with yellow or dark red petals.

It induces somewhat warming or stimulating effect in the human body. It reinforces the circulation of the stagnant blood in the body, that’s the reason for employing it for amenorrhea (absence of menstruation). It bolsters the energy, manages colic, diarrhea, constipation, digestive problems, and so forth.
As for stimulating effect, its ingestion bestows clear dreams and helps in creative meditation. So better steer clear of Mugworts if you are trying to indulge in a deep night’s sleep.

Chiefly, this plant is packed with camphor, cineole, α- and β-thujone, artemisia ketone, borneol ,and bornyl acetate as well as a wide variety of other phenols, terpenes and, aliphatic compounds.

Growing

Mugwort plant does not ask for optimum pH levels or minerals but it truly desires for full sun exposure and well-drained soil.

The seeds of Mugwort need to be stratified first before being transited to the garden bed. The seeds undergo stratification for two weeks. They need bit moisture during stratification so it seems better to mix the seeds with an equal amount of moist sand. The mixture is chilled in the refrigerator for a period of two weeks and then the seeds are transferred to the garden bed to witness the germination.

The seeds grow better outdoors but can be grown indoors too. It is preferred to stratify the seeds indoors and then transfer them outdoors.

The seeds of the Mugwort plant take ample time to germinate that ranges from 2 to 8 weeks. The germination is then promoted to further growth of the plant. It flowers from mid-summer to early autumn during which the pollen grains roll in the hay.

The pollen grains of the flowers are quite light-weighted so they get pollinated by wind easily. Floating along with the air currents, they reach the stigma of their respective flower. The fertilization follows the fashion which results in the formation of seeds that account for the preservation of the lifecycle of the Mugwort plant.

Harvesting

The picture-perfect Mugwort is best harvested when it is flowering i.e from mid-summer to early autumn. The plant is at its peak potency at this time and is perfect to slip in those herbal teas.

The leaves, flowers, and roots are harvested eagerly by mankind all around the world. The upper 1/3 part of the flower is cut and placed in an area where it can be further processed for storage.

Moreover, if you want to be adventurous, then grab those roots by digging up the plant preferably in the season of fall.

The leaves are meant to be dried which can be done by whether hanging them upside down in a well-ventilated area or by chopping it up and leaving it in a dehydrator until they have dried.

The roots are washed and dried thoroughly after being collected. They are then splayed on a sheet with a distance that manifests no overlap to dry in air.

Usage

Mugwort hosts several medicinal benefits that can be cheered in any of the following preparatory forms.

Tincture- Infuse fresh or dry chopped Mugwort leaves in grain alcohol for 4 to 6 weeks. Strain the liquid and place it in a dark and dry place.
Tea- Either dried Mugwort leaves and flowers, or its root is utilized to form a pot of Mugwort tea.
Decoction- Mugwort seeds and roots are used to frame a decoction.
Salve- Mugwort infused oil is employed along with beeswax in formulating a Mugwort salve.
Infused oil- Dried Mugwort leaves are infused with olive oil for a considerable period to make Mugwort infused oil.