What is Wormwood?
I stumbled onto this mysterious plant many years ago at a place called Caprilands Herb Farm in Northern Ct. I learned about this farm in an Art History class in college, and thought it would be a great place to gather an assortment of medicinal herbs. An older distinguished gentleman, who worked there named Edmond, asked me if I ever heard of "The Green Fairy" drink. I told him I have not, and that is when he introduced me to this peculiar species called Wormwood.
I have included some history about Wormwood for you to read. It has been used throughout history for many ailments, and today it is used more and more for organic gardening. I use Wormwood as a natural bug repellent in my garden and also on my skin. I included some Wormwood recipes for you, since you all will have Wormwood in your CSA boxes this week!
Wormwood is the common name for Artemisia absinthium, the plant whose aromatic oil is used to make Absinthe. Although Absinthe contains extracts from a whole variety of different plants, Wormwood oil is the key ingredient of the famed green drink, and perhaps the reason why absinthe is quite unlike any other liquor ever produced.
The otherwise ordinarily-looking Wormwood plant holds a secret: its aromatic leaves and flowers are naturally rich in the terpene thujone, an aromatic, bitter substance believed to induce an inexplicable clarity of thought, increased sense of perception, enhanced creativity, inspiration and the ability to "see beyond" -- as all the famous absinthe drinkers amongst nineteenth century poets, writers, painters and other artists discovered.
But wormwood's unique properties fascinated humanity long before the plant was first used to make absinthe in 1792. Because of its powerful effects on both mind and body, wormwood has been valued as a versatile medicinal plant since at least 1600 B.C.
The Egyptians used the plant as an antiseptic, a stimulant and tonic, and as a remedy for fevers and menstrual pains. In ancient Greece, apsinthos (the Greek name for wormwood) was prescribed for such ailments as rheumatism, anemia and menstrual pains, and sometimes as a means of aiding child birth. The philosopher Hippocrates even recommended wormwood as a cure for jaundice.
In the Middle Ages, the plant was used to exterminate tapeworm infestations while leaving the human host uninjured, even rejuvenated, by the experience.
Since the time of the Romans, wormwood has also been known to aid digestion, and as an effective treatment for upset stomach. In the eighteenth century, a certain Dr. John Hill, describing a German feast of that day, noted:"The wormwood wine, so famous with the Germans, is made with Roman Wormwood, put into the juice and work'd with it; it is a strong and an excellent wine, not unpleasant, yet of such efficacy to give an appetite that the Germans drink a glass with every other mouthful, and that way eat for hours together, without sickness or indigestion."
To this day, Bedouin Africans sell wormwood in a Cairo market as a remedy for ill health. The Bedouin also burn wormwood leaves as incense around their newborn children to give the child a life of good health. In 1990, it was claimed that the scientific community finally recognized that wormwood extract is as good as chloroqine for the treatment of malaria.
In The Garden:
Wormwood is effective against: Aphids, caterpillars, flea beetles and moths. You can make a Wormwood Tea and spray directly on the plant, or you can dry Wormwood and hang in the corners of your garden, or sprinkle around your plants. Putting dried sprigs of wormwood in the garden along side carrots and onions will mask their scent, confusing insects in particular the carrot rust fly.
To Make Wormwood Tea:
8 ounces wormwood leaves
4 pints of water
1 teaspoon castile soap
Simmer wormwood leaves in the water for 30 minutes. Stir, strain, and leave to cool.
Add the castille soap to wormwood mixture and use to spray.
To Dry Wormwood:
Hang them upside down in a shady spot. Let them air dry like this for a few days. Put them into glass containers with tightly screwed down lids. Store in a dark place.
A Natural Insect Repellent:This repellent will work against fleas, ticks, and chiggers by mixing lavender, sage, mint, rosemary and wormwood together. Cover it with vinegar and leave it for one week and after that apply it by using a piece of cotton.
