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Mugwort

Artemisia vulgaris

Summary 7

Artemisia vulgaris (mugwort or common wormwood) is one of several species in the genus Artemisia commonly known as mugwort, although Artemisia vulgaris is the species most often called mugwort. This species is also occasionally known as felon herb, chrysanthemum weed, wild wormwood, old Uncle Henry, sailor's tobacco, naughty man, old man or St. John's plant (not to be confused with St John's wort). Mugworts are used medicinally and as culinary herbs.

Comments 8

Grown as a medicinal plant, most commonly as a vermifuge, Artemisia vulgaris is widely established in eastern North America and is often weedy in disturbed sites. Populational differences in morphologic forms are reflected in size of flowering heads, degree of dissection of leaves, and overall color of plants (from pale to dark green), suggesting multiple introductions that may date back to the first visits by Europeans. It is tempting to recognize the different forms as subspecies and varieties; the array of variation in the field is bewildering. If genetically distinct forms exist in native populations, the differences appear to have been blurred by introgression among the various introductions in North America. A case could be made for recognizing var. kamtschatica in Alaska based on its larger heads and shorter growth form; apparent introgression with populations that extend across Canada confounds that taxonomic segregation.

Description 9

Artemisia vulgaris is a shrubby perennial with segmented leaves that are toothed and dark green with a white, pubescent underside. The stem is dark red or sometimes purple. It can grow to nearly 2 meters in height with small yellow flowers that are 5 mm long. Artemisia vulgaris, commonly known as mugwort, is an opportunistic weed that grows at elevations of 1500-3800 m, including pastures,forest margins, valleys, slopes,ditches, roadsides, canyons, and steppes. A number of moths and butterflies feed on the leaves and flowers of A. vulgaris. The plant was originally brought to North America from Asia as an ornamental and for its home-grown medicinal properties, and is now established as an invasive weed (USDA 2008).

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Biopix, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/photos/SDL-Artemisia-vulgaris-00001.jpg
  2. (c) Kingsbrae Garden, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://www.flickr.com/photos/32598399@N00/3058841690
  3. (c) anonymous, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/photos/JCS-Artemisia-vulgaris-65752.JPG
  4. (c) Biopix, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/PhotosMedium/JCS%20Artemisia%20vulgaris%2049914.jpg
  5. (c) Biopix, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.biopix.com/photos/jcs-artemisia-vulgaris-59243.jpg
  6. (c) Ondřej Zicha, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), https://www.biolib.cz/IMG/GAL/1345.jpg
  7. Adapted by Kate Wagner from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artemisia_vulgaris
  8. (c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/19814435
  9. (c) Rebecca Dealy, Oregon State University, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/18599345

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