A perennial subshrub, 1 m (3 ft.) in height, leaves are silvery-grey, downy and finely divided. Flowers are yellowish-green, tiny and ball-shaped, borne on bracts in late summer.
History and traditions
Known since antiquity, this bitter herb was highly valued medicinally, with a reputation for overcoming bodily weakness. As a 15th-century manuscript declares: “Water of wormwood is gode Grete Lords among the Saracens use to drinker hits” And Sir John Hill, in his Virtues of British Herbs (1772), alleging that the Germans have a tendency to overeat, says this is made possible by a habit of washing down each mouthful with a decoction of wormwood.
Uses
Medicinal
Has anti-inflammatory properties, expels intestinal worms and stimulates the uterus. Sometimes recommended for digestive problems, poor appetite and general debility, but there are more modern and safer ways to deal with these conditions.
Aromatic
Strongly insect-repellent, it is dried for inclusion in sachets against moths, fleas and other insects, or made into tinctures and infusions to deter them.
