description
Artemisia vulgaris is a tall herbaceous perennial plant of the Asteraceae
family that grows 1–2 m tall—although on rare occasion it can reach heights of 2.5 m. It has a woody root. The leaves
are 5–20 cm long, dark green, pinnate, with dense white tomentose hairs on
the underside. The erect stem of the plant is often tinged red-purplish. The plant's
small flowers (5 mm long) are radially symmetrical with many yellow or dark
red petals. The narrow and numerous capitula (flower heads) spread out in
racemose panicles. It flowers from July to September.
common names & nomenclature
The common name of mugwort is mistakenly thought to be derived from the plant's traditional use in
flavoring drinks—a function mugwort had been performing for hundreds of years. These drinks were then imbibed from "mugs", hence the connection. More likely it was derived from muggi, the old Norse word for "marsh". Wort is from the old English word wyrt a general term for
"root", "herb", or "plant".
Also known as:
mugwort, cronewort, common wormwood, wild wormwood, felon herb, st. john's
plant (not to be confused with st. john’s wort), chrysanthemum weed,
sailor's tobacco, moxa, artemis herb, naughty man, old man, old uncle henry,
muggons, cingulum sancti johannis