Southern Wormwood
Artemisia abrotanum Linnaeus
Southern Wormwood: https://marylandbiodiversity.com/species/15952
Synonyms
Tags
Waif Non-native

Source: Wikipedia

Artemisia abrotanum
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Artemisia
Species:
A. abrotanum
Binomial name
Artemisia abrotanum
L. 1753 not Thunb. 1784
Synonyms[1]
  • Artemisia altissima Ehrh. ex DC.
  • Artemisia anethifolia Fisch. ex DC.
  • Artemisia elatior Klokov
  • Artemisia elegans Fisch. ex Ledeb.
  • Artemisia foeniculacea Steven ex DC.
  • Artemisia herbacea Ehrh. ex Willd.
  • Artemisia paniculata Lam.
  • Artemisia procera Willd.
  • Artemisia proceriformis Krasch.
  • Artemisia tenuissima Spreng. ex Besser

Description

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Shrub-like herbaceous perennial in the Asteraceae family or other wise know as the daisy family. Posses upright branches that have greenish gray leaves that form a bushy clumped form. the leaf length is normally 1 - 3 inches and the leaf width is normally less than an 1 inch. [2]They are know for there camphor-like scent.[2] Abrotanum are found mainly in the Baltic states, however have been seen in Eurasia, North America, and Africa. In NA it is becoming a naturalized weed in disturbed areas. They grow best in hot dry climates however they do not succeed in humid weather.[3] They can grow to be 3-4 feet tall and 2-3 feet wide. The flowers can be either white or yellow and they bloom in the summer and the fall. the flower shape is like a cup and is normally less than 1 inch.

Common Names

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Genus is named for Artemis which in Greek mythology is the Greek goddess of the moon, wild animals, and hunting.[4] The specific epithet from Greek means wormwood or southernwood which are the most common names for Artemisia Abrotanum. other names could be lad's love, maid's love and old man. In France its called garderobe which means guard the wardrobe. it shows the old practice of placing plant sprigs where you would put your clothes which would deter moths and other insects.[4]

Uses

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A yellow dye can be extracted from the branches of the plant, for use with wool. Its dried leaves are used to keep moths away from wardrobes. The volatile oil in the leaves is responsible for the strong, sharp, scent which repels moths and other insects. It was customary to lay sprays of the herb amongst clothes, or hang them in closets, and this is the origin of one of the southernwood's French names, "garderobe" ("clothes-preserver"). Judges carried posies of southernwood and rue to protect themselves from prisoners' contagious diseases, and some church-goers relied on the herb's sharp scent to keep them awake during long sermons.[5]

The pungent, scented leaves and flowers are used in herbal teas. Young shoots were used to flavor pastries and puddings. In Italy, it is used as a culinary herb.

In the traditional medicine of East and North Bosnia and Herzegovina, aerial parts of Artemisia abrotanum are used in jaundice therapy.[6]

Aqueous extracts of the Southernwood have been proven to have benefits to all layers of the skin. Two studies were done to see if southernwood did have the positive benefits, one on dryness in lower legs and the other on multiple factors on in the facial regions[7]. The first study they applied this extract to one leg and placebo to the other leg twice a day for two weeks. Moisturization was measured by Skicon and TEWL was measured as well. The results showed that there was a significant decrease in TEWL in the panelists with the extract compared to the panelists with placebo. The second study, patients with coarse wrinkling in the crows feet and upper cheek areas, and also moderate pigmentation. Once again patients applied the extract to one side of the face and placebo to the other. The facial treatment of southernwood showed improvements of fine lines, mottled pigmentation and radiance when compared to the placebo treatment. Also the treatment showed significant improvements in overall photodamage to the facial region[7].

A poem by Edward Thomas (1878 – 1917) concerns the herb: "Old Man or Lad's Love".[8]

In the Chinese book of rites they mentioned it in sacrifices.[9]

Care

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They grow in acidic pH soil and prefer loamy, sandy, clay, well drained soil to prosper into full size. They need full sun exposure but also need a sheltered location away from extreme winds. Think as the soil as where other plants would struggle to survive. the soil should be well drained so the water logging never occurs because the plant is susceptible to root rot[3]. Fertilizer normally will not be needed because it can survive where other plants normally do not. However if it is losing shape and the foliage is elongated and weak fertilizer could benefit the plant to regain its shape.

Pruning: southerwood is easy to propagate from root division and cuttings. there is a 6 step process for cuttings and a 3 step process for root division[3]

To propagate from cuttings

  1. choose a 4 - 6 inch portion of new woody growth in the summer and trim it off
  2. remove leaves from the lower half of the plant
  3. applying rooting hormone to the cut end
  4. plant the cutting in a soilless potting medium
  5. keep the plant warm and moist all the way up to the point when the roots form
  6. plant outside when you struggle to pull the stem, this means that the southernwood has developed roots

To propagate from root division

  1. dig up the clumps
  2. pull up roots
  3. replant with smaller clumps

Toxicity

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In 2012, the European Food Safety Authority reported that all the aerial parts of Artemisia abrotanum contain substances that can be toxic to humans, due to the presence in the essential oil of bicyclic monoterpenes and phenylpropanoids.[10]

The severity of poisonous is low but if eaten in large quanties can be very toxic to humans. the parts of the plant that are poisonous are the bark, flowers, fruits, leaves, roots, seeds, and the stems[2].

References

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  1. ^ "Artemisia abrotanum". The Global Compositae Checklist (GCC) – via The Plant List. Note that this website has been superseded by World Flora Online
  2. ^ a b c "Artemisia abrotanum (Boy's Love, Garderobe, Lad's Love, Maid's Love, Old Man, Sitherwood, Southernwood, Southern Wormwood) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox". plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  3. ^ a b c "How to Grow Southernwood". The Spruce. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  4. ^ a b "Artemisia abrotanum - Plant Finder". www.missouribotanicalgarden.org. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
  5. ^ Alice Morse Earle (1851-1911), The Sabbath in Puritan New England, chapter 4.
  6. ^ Tewari D, Mocan A, Parvanov ED, Sah AN, Nabavi SM, Huminiecki L, Ma ZF, Lee YY, Horbańczuk JO, Atanasov AG. Ethnopharmacological Approaches for Therapy of Jaundice: Part I. Front Pharmacol. 2017, August 15; doi: 10.3389/fphar.2017.00518.
  7. ^ a b 9622(10)01197-7/abstract "Clinical benefits of topical application of artemisia abrotanum (southernwood) on photodamaged skin". Journal of the American academy of dermatology. 2011. {{cite web}}: Check |url= value (help)CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ "Old Man Poem by Edward Thomas". Poemhunter.com. Retrieved 2022-03-30.
  9. ^ Confucius (2016-08-29). Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated). Delphi Classics. ISBN 978-1-78656-052-0.
  10. ^ European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (2012). "Compendium of botanicals reported to contain naturally occuring [sic] substances of possible concern for human health when used in food and food supplements" (PDF). EFSA Journal. 10 (5): 2663. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2012.2663.
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