Common Name: |
Capillaris |
Botanical Name: |
Artemisia capillaris |
Genus: |
Artemisia |
Family: |
Asteraceae |
Native Location: |
Japan, Taiwan, Northern China |
Cultivation: |
Well-drained, neutral to slightly alkaline soil in sun. Artemisia absinthium, A. a. 'Lambrook Silver', and A. lucoviciana tolerate drought. A. capillaris thrives in moist soil and tolerates light shade. Hardiness varies with species; cover marginally hardy plants with loose straw or overwinter plants under cover. In spring, cut back shrubby species near ground level, or remove dead stems and trim to shape. Rust may attack foliage. |
Position: |
Most species prefer rull sun, good drainage and almost neutral soil, (although mugwort tolerates partial shade). As it is strongly insecticidal, use it as a companion plant in the edge of gardens. |
Propagation: |
By seed sown in spring (annuals, perennials, and A. d. subsp. dracunculoides); by semi-ripe cuttings with a heel in summer (shrubby species); by division in autumn or spring (perennials). Propagate all perennial artemisias by semi-hardwood cuttings taken from midsummer to autumn, or raise from seed. Propagate rhizomatous species by root division in autumn. Directly sow the annual species A. annua into the garden in spring, or raise as seedlings and transplant at 6 weeks. |
Maintenance: |
Lightly prune and shape perennial bushy artemisias in spring. Prune southernwood heavily in spring. Artemisias are drought-tolerant group once they are established, and perennial forms have good frost tolerance. |
Pests and Diseases: |
Wormwoods are rarely troubled by pests and diseases. |
Harvest: |
By seed sown in spring (annuals, perennials, and A. d. subsp. dracunculoides); by semi-ripe cuttings with a heel in summer (shrubby species); by division in autumn or spring (perennials). Harvest the leaves as required to use fresh or dried. |
Height: |
60-120cm (2-4ft) |
Width: |
15-30cm (6-12in) |
Hardiness: |
Z4-8 |
Parts Used: |
Leaves |
Properties: |
An aromatic herb |
Misunderstood Artemisia: |
Several herb handbooks warn that artemisia may have intoxicating effects similar to those of marijuana. Whether you consider this to be desirable or undesirable, it is simply not true. This misunderstanding stems from the use of a form of artemisia known as absinthe, a fashionable drink in the nineteenth century. The herb became associated with the death of the American writer Edgar Allan Poe and the suicide of the painter Vincent Van Gogh. It was immortalized in a painting by Edgar Degas, which shows a haunting portrait of two absinthe drinkers, hollow-eyed and oblivious to all but the intoxicating beverage. Of course, the absinthe drinkers in the picture were merely models. Thujone, the intoxicating chemical in artemisia, and tetra-hydrocannabinol (THC), the active ingredient of marijuana, have similar molecules, and both attach to the same receptor sites in the brain. However, the thujone content of alcoholic beverages containing artemisia is less than one-twentieth of the amount needed for intoxication. Any "high" from artemisia comes from the alcohol in which it is dissolved. |
Medicinal Uses: |
Anti-microbial and Cholagogue |
Evidence of Benefit: |
Artemisia has several useful antimicrobial properties. It is also a cholagogue, a substance that stimulates the production of bile. Benefits of artemisia for specific health conditions include the following:
- Bladder and Parasitic Infections: Artemisia is a powerful parasite exterminator that is compatible with intestinal flora and cleanses the instestines. It treats urinary tract infections caused by Klebsiella bacteria. It is an important treatment for malaria as well. Artemisia contains a chemical, artemisine, that acts against Plasmodium falciparum, which causes a serious form of malaria. Artemisine is one of very few treatments for that illness. Artemisine is also effective against the organsisms that cause river blindness.
- Constipation and Diarrhea: Artemisia soothes inflamed intestinal tissues, aids digestion, and promotes the circulation of nutrients to the cells, and alleviates abdominal cramping.
- Hepatitis and Jaundice: Artemisia increases the secretion of bile into the gastrointestinal tract, thus aiding that liver in draining its waste products. Used with gardenia (Gardenia jasminoidis), it has been shown to increase the rate of liver cell regeneration. It works on the liver, stomach, spleen, and gallbladder to clear jaundice and fever, and to treat hepatitis.
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Considerations for Use: |
Artemisia is used in teas or tinctures. The practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) who supply artemisia usually refer to this herb and the products made from it as Yen Chen Hao. |
Economic Uses: |
Leaves are used fresh or dried in herbal posies. |
Warning: |
Artemisias, and extracts from them, such as cineole and santonin, are subject to legal restrictions in some countries. |
Bibliography: |
Encylopedia of Herbs by Deni Brown Copyright ©: 1995, 2001 Dorling Kindersley Limited pp 130-132 Prescription for Herbal Healing by Phyllis A. Balch,CNC Copyright©2002 Phyllis A. Balch. Pg. 24 |