Wormwood species, or what kind of wormwood is. Annual wormwood and other species: photo

Wormwood is a perennial herbaceous or semi-shrub plant belonging to the Astrov family. Very few species of wormwood are annuals. In Latin, the plant sounds like Artemisia. It is assumed that the word in translation means "healthy". Some researchers believe that the interpretation of the name of the plant is associated with the name of the ancient Greek deity Artemis. The inhabitants of Turkmenistan call it evshan, emshan; Kazakhstan - zhusan.

Appearance

Plant height ranges from 100 to 150 cm. Artemisia root is thick and woody.

The stalk of wormwood is straight, covered with a whitish-silver down. The leaves are large, alternate, pinnately divided. In this case, as a rule, the leaves that are located in the lower part of the plant are quite large. They become smaller as they are located towards the top.

Artemisia flowers are small, reddish, form inflorescences in the form of panicles, which can be either erect or drooping. There are types of wormwood with yellow flowers that look like small balls. Their size is approximately 5 mm in diameter.

The fruit of wormwood is an achene, smooth and small.

Kinds

On the territory of Russia, there are approximately 180 species of wormwood, and in total there are 400 of them.

• Grows in Russia everywhere. A very tall plant - up to 150 cm. The rhizome of this type of wormwood is branched, reddish closer to the stem. The leaves have a dark green upper part, and their inner side whitish. The flowers of wormwood are very small, pink. Flowering period - June - August. Seeds ripen by September. (photo 1)
• characterized by a tart-bitter aroma, in which there are inclusions of lemon and camphor. This type of wormwood is also called God's tree, in German - Eberreis, Gartenheil, Strangernkraut. Translated from English, it sounds like “southern forest” - Southernwood, “old man” - Old man. The French call wormwood healing - Aurone, Citronelle. Once upon a time, it could be seen in the gardens of peasants or at monasteries. Today it has been forgotten. Southern and South-Eastern Europe, Western and Western Asia - this is the current range of wormwood. Medicinal wormwood is a frost-resistant shrub that reaches 1.5 m in height. If we conditionally divide the plant into three parts, then we will see that it begins to branch in the upper third. The leaves are filigree-pinnate, have a gray-green color, and the flowers are yellow. (photo 2)
• In German it sounds like Absinth, Bitterkraut, Gottvergess, in English - Wormwood, Absinth, in French - Absinthe, Annoise amere. The height of this shrub is 120 cm. It is no coincidence that the plant is called "wormwood". Its taste speaks for itself: it is rightfully considered the most bitter plant in Russia. Wormwood is resistant to drought and frost. Wormwood leaves resemble parsley leaves in their appearance, but their color is silvery gray. Flowers are yellow tubules, which are collected in balls (about 4 mm in diameter), located in one-sided tassels. The flowering period is July-September. (photo 3)
• Tarragon or, as it is also called, tarragon. Despite the fact that tarragon is a kind of wormwood, there is no bitterness in its leaves, so it is widely used in cooking for preservation or as an additive to meat dishes. The aroma of tarragon is a synthesis of vanilla and hay smells. The plant is quite low in comparison with other types of wormwood - only 30 cm. Tarragon flowers are small white stars. Sounds in other languages in the following way: German - Duftlabkraut, Maiblume, Maikraut; English - Sweet woodruff, French - Asperule odorante, Reine-des-bois. (photo 4)

There are types of wormwood that are very poisonous: Tauride, paniculate.

Where does it grow?

The habitat of wormwood is the temperate zone of the northern hemisphere, the northern and southern parts of the African continent, North America. In Russia, wormwood can be found almost everywhere. The most common places are the steppe and desert part of Kazakhstan, Transcaucasia, Central Asia and the Caucasus, Ukraine, Belarus. Wormwood can occupy a vast area of ​​dry, rocky and infertile territory, forming real thickets. This applies to low growing species.

spice making method

Wormwood uses both leaves and flowers. Flowers are harvested before the flowering period, while they are in the bud state. Wormwood is also used in dried form. The most important thing in the process of harvesting raw materials is the collection period. If the plant is cut too late, then during the drying process it will darken, and the inflorescences collected in baskets will simply crumble.

For drying use a dark room with good ventilation. Attics are well suited for this. If the wormwood is dried unfolded, then the layer should be thin. Be sure to turn over the raw materials.

• Wormwood has a unique, slightly bitter smell. He is very strong. It can be characterized by the words "intoxicating and intoxicating."
• Wormwood is a bitter plant. If you pick a sprig of wormwood and crush it a little in your hands, your hands will become bitter.
• The plant propagates by seeds. One plant produces about 100 thousand seeds per summer.

Nutritional value and calories

Raw wormwood calories - 32 kcal

Raw wormwood contains:

• Proteins - 0.33 g
• Fats - 0.52 g
• Carbohydrates - 3.6 g
• Dietary fiber - 3.8 g
• Water - 89 g
• Ash - 2.5 g

You can find out more information about wormwood from an excerpt from the program "Good mood"

Chemical composition

Wormwood grass contains:

• Tannins.
• Mucous and resinous substances.
• Carotene.
• Vitamins C, A, group B.
• Saponins.
• Alkaloids.
• Coumarins.
• Essential oil (cineol, borneol, α-thuyene).
• Macro and microelements: Ca, Mg, Na, K, P, Fe, Zn, Cu, Mg, Se.

Roots include:

• Tannins and mucous substances
• resins.
• Sahara.
• Essential oil (0.5 - 2%)

Beneficial features

• Wormwood has a positive effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
• It has antiseptic, antipyretic, analgesic properties.
• Strengthens the body.
• Stimulates appetite.
• Calms the nervous system.
• Fights helminths.
• Normalizes sleep and menstrual cycle.
• Has antitussive properties.

Wormwood helps in the treatment of diabetes

Harm

Contraindications

• Pregnancy and lactation.
• Anemia.
• Gastric ulcer, gastritis with low acidity.
• Individual intolerance.
• Various bleeding.
• Period of menstruation in women.

Wormwood can cause allergies, and it can not be taken with low blood clotting, after surgery and abortion

Application

In cooking

• Medicinal wormwood is used to flavor pork and veal dishes. It will not hurt the goose and duck. Since the plant has a very strong odor, it should be used with care. It will add piquancy to sauces, drinks, liqueurs.
• The main use of wormwood is the distillery industry (the most important component of absinthe and vermouth). In very small quantities it is added to meat dishes. Pairs perfectly with roast goose.

Wormwood dumplings - a popular Thai dish

In medicine

As a rule, the above-ground component of wormwood is used for treatment. Tinctures, decoctions, extracts are prepared from it. Internally, you can use wormwood powder (3 times a day for half a gram before meals) and juice (a tablespoon mixed with honey). Only the juice that was squeezed out of the plant before it bloomed is useful.

In cosmetology

• Washing your head with wormwood decoction is useful for oily hair.
• Baths, in which wormwood is added, slow down the aging process of the body.

Wormwood fights hair loss and strengthens hair follicles

cultivation

Grow sagebrush on your personal plot will not be difficult, due to the unpretentiousness of this type of plant. Plus, wormwood is frost resistant. Therefore, be sure that your plant will easily survive the most severe winter. Soil fertility is also not of particular importance for sagebrush.

Wormwood propagates by seeds. Perennials can simply be planted out like an ordinary overgrown culture.

But tarragon needs special care. Otherwise, you will get a plant that will not have the unique aroma for which it is valued. The plant should not be watered abundantly, only on dry days it needs to be slightly increased. Beware of stagnant water.

Tarragon is transplanted in spring or in autumn period. The bush is divided, and after being transplanted, it is well watered. If you decide to plant tarragon with seeds, then they should be planted in early spring and covered with foil. Do not forget about watering and ventilation. Seedlings will appear in 1.5 weeks.

• In ancient times, the Slavs used wormwood to cleanse their inner world and the world of reality from the influence of evil spirits and entities. On the feast of Ivan Kupala, girls wove wreaths from wormwood and guessed about the future.
• Wormwood was used to make the strongest talismans and amulets that could protect the owner from the worst enemies.
• Wormwood elixirs were a love spell and at the same time could cause damage.
• Wormwood was used by fishermen as a means of protection against all water evil spirits: mermaids, water ones.
• A branch of wormwood, placed above the doorway, protected the inhabitants of the dwelling from negativity.
• Queen Cleopatra used wormwood oil as an additive to her toilet waters.
• In ancient times, wormwood was used to dye fabrics.
• Wormwood fumigated hospital rooms during times of fevers and epidemics.

Name: wormwood (Artemisia) has always been highly valued for its special tart, intoxicating aroma. Known since ancient times wormwood(Artemisia absinthium).

Artemisia atrata
Photo of Voronina Svetlana

More ancient Greek philosopher Xenophanes wrote that the valleys of the Euphrates are filled with the fragrance of wormwood, and shepherds often use it as an intoxicating, intoxicating remedy. And in our time, an infusion of wormwood, or absinthe, is part of many drinks, in particular vermouth. And the very name "Wermut" just means wormwood. But much more often they used wormwood as a medicine. In this regard, several variants of the origin of the name of this plant appeared. More often than others, there is a mention of the name of Queen Artemisia, the wife of Mausolus, who specially collected and cultivated herbs with healing properties. Name Greek goddess hunting and fertility of Artemis, could also serve as a derivative for the name of this plant, since with the help wormwood(Artemisia vulgaris) treated women's diseases. Or maybe everything is much more prosaic, and the name of the genus comes from the Greek word artemes, which can be translated as: only what is good for health. In any case, the virtues of wormwood have been known since ancient times and they were widely used.

Description: the genus includes more than 400 species distributed in Europe, Asia , Africa and North America.

Plants are perennial, rarely annual or biennial, herbaceous or semi-shrub. The leaves are arranged in the next order, deeply dissected, rarely whole. Inflorescences - baskets, very small, collected in turn in racemose, paniculate or capitate inflorescences. Marginal flowers with a narrow, filiform corolla, white, yellow or pink; middle - tubular, yellow or pink. The fruit is a seed. In 1 g up to 30,000 seeds.

Unusual and exquisite beauty of openwork foliage of wormwood, including various shades gray color- from almost silver-white, steel and silver-blue to grayish-green. Experienced gardeners decorated flower beds with various wormwood as early as the 16th-19th centuries. Depending on the type of wormwood, they can be from 20 cm to 1.5 m high, some lend themselves well to shearing. Plants are decorative throughout the season. In flower beds, they are very unpretentious, drought- and frost-resistant, which allows them to be used in dry areas that are very warm in summer and freezing in winter.

Undersized species:

Steller's Wormwood- Artemisia stellerana Bess. It grows on the rocks of the sea coasts of the Far East, Japan, Alaska, Norway. In addition, it is widely settled in North America. Occurs in estuaries, on dunes, climbs coastal cliffs. Perennial with more or less spreading shoots, 20-30 cm long, with beautiful, split, silvery-gray leaves. During flowering, the stems reach 40-50 cm in length. Baskets are small, yellowish, in loose inflorescences, appear from mid-summer to autumn. Peduncles are best cut before flowering, otherwise they will close the leaves - the main decoration of this wormwood. In GBS since 1955 (from Primorye), blooms profusely in August, seeds appear in November (not annually). Easily propagated by seeds. Violin (1960) recommends cutting stems to prevent flowering. Known in culture since 1865 (Poletiko, Mishenkovag 1967), brought to Europe from North America (Pagey, 1932; Ishiyama, 1936; Bailey, 1947; Dictionary of Gardening, 1956; Wyman, 1971). Zolotarev (1896) notes its winter hardiness and recommends it as a border plant. Variety imported from Japan Maurice Form"("MorisForm"), known as " Bugton Silver"("Boughton Silver") 30 cm high, characterized by almost white, showy leaves and creeping shoots. This plant creates the effect that its leaves are carved from white felt. To maintain a compact form, pruning and annual rejuvenation by hilling or dividing are recommended. Winter-hardy, but freezes in snowless winters. Good for planting on rocky hills and retaining walls, an excellent ground cover for a gravel garden. Steller's wormwood goes well with carnation-grass, gray fescue, creeping gypsophila, clary sage and various types stonecrop. Photo on the left EDSR. Photo on the right of Nadezhda Dmitrieva

Wormwood Schmidt- Artemisia schmidtiana Native to the Far East, found in Sakhalin and the south of the Kuril Islands, as well as in Japan. Settles on poor soils in the mountains and on the coast. We know mainly the form " Nana"("Nana"). Its numerous, densely leafy shoots form openwork rounded "bushes" or small low dense curtains, 25-30 cm high. The leaves are pinnately cut into narrow lobes, silvery green, densely pubescent. It blooms in August - September In our conditions, the plant is not very stable, often dies in winter, rather than from frost, but from an abundance of snow, but it can recover due to root offspring. Herbaceous perennial with stems up to 1 m tall. Forms common thickets. appear in the summer brown flowers, each less than 1 cm in diameter and have no decorative value. It is better to remove the formed fruits of a nondescript look. Requires a sunny location. In the middle lane, it is not winter-hardy enough; shelter is necessary with spruce branches. Does not tolerate stagnant water. Sort" Silver Queen"("Silver Queen"), also known as " Silberkonigin"(" Silberkonigin ") was obtained in Great Britain in the 20th century. Height is about 70 cm, forms loose thickets. It has strongly branched, densely pubescent shoots in the upper part. Leaves are lanceolate, sessile. The whole plant is silver-gray. It blooms in July. Baskets collected at the tops of the shoots in compact inexpressive inflorescences. "Valerie Finning"("Valeri Finnig") is distinguished by very characteristic leaves with a tip dissected into several sharp teeth. The leaf is gray-green above and almost white from dense pubescence below.

Wormwood Messerschmidt - Artemisia messerschmidtiana Bess. Siberia, Far East, Mongolia. Slopes with bushy meadow-steppe vegetation, edges. Semi-shrub, 60-80 cm tall. The perennial part of the stem is brown with peeling bark in longitudinal brown stripes. Annual shoots are green-violet, slightly ribbed, with sparse crumpled hairs. The leaves are gray from a continuous felt of matted hairs, 5-7 cm long. (including petiole 1-2 cm long.), doubly pinnatisected. The terminal lobules are lanceolate, entire or with several denticles. All segments at an acute angle are directed to the top of the sheet. At the base of the petiole are simple or dissected ears. Large primary leaf lobes 4-5. In the intervals between the second and subsequent primary lobes, small simple lobules are located along the main axis of the leaf. The inflorescence is paniculate, consisting of separate brushes of baskets. Baskets 4-5 mm in diameter, rounded, drooping, located on relatively short pubescent peduncles. The involucral leaves are pubescent with long hairs. The outer leaves are green, oblong-triangular. The middle ones are ovoid, the inner ones are broadly ovate, almost round, membranous with dark brown stripes. Receptacle convex, glabrous or hairy. Hair breaks off easily. Outer flowers in a basket are pistillate, including 17-19 pieces. Disc flowers are bisexual, 65-70 in number. Hemicarps obovate about 1.5 mm long. Photo by Vyacheslav Petukhin from the site "Nature of Baikal"

Wormwood lactiflora- A. lactiflora wall. Homeland - Western China. Perennial herbaceous plant up to 100 cm tall with reddish-brown stems and openwork dark green glossy leaves. Flower baskets are small, white, collected in dense racemose inflorescences. Blooms in August. Prefers moist peaty soils and a sunny position. Looks great in landscape-style flower beds and in the background of a mixborder, along with beautifully flowering perennials. In culture since 1828. Photo on the left EDSR. photo on the right Rozantseva Tatiana

Wormwood "Zhanlim"- Artemisia vulgaris "Janlim" ("Oriental Limelight") Frost-resistant perennial. Zone: 4-9. The correct name for this variety is "Janlim", but commercial firms distribute it under the brand name "Oriental Limelight". The variety is notable for its yellow-green, beautifully dissected leaves. AT young age the leaves cover the spots almost completely, and on more mature green background becomes more noticeable. Coloring remains until late autumn. The growth pattern is upright. The leaves release fragrance when rubbed. Tiny white flowers that appear at the ends of the stems in summer have no decorative value. Grows best in poor to moderately fertile soils in moderately moist to dry soils in full sun. Good drainage is a must. From dampness, the plant rots. On excessively fertile soils and in the shade and partial shade, the stems lie down. This variety is less aggressive than the original species. If the leafiness of the stems decreases, the plants can be trimmed and they will grow again. The colorful yellow-green foliage contrasts well with other plants in herb gardens and borders. An indispensable plant for areas with poor and dry soils. Photo by Anna Petrovicheva

Wormwood annual - A. annua L. Homeland - the south of the European part of Russia, Crimea, Transcaucasia, the Mediterranean, Asia Minor, China, Japan. An annual herbaceous plant that forms pyramidal bushes up to 150 cm tall. The leaves are finely dissected, dark green, fragrant when rubbed. The flowers are inconspicuous, have no decorative value. Good for haircut. In culture since 1741. If you sow seeds with an interval of 50 cm, you will get dense thickets that resemble a hedge of coniferous shrubs. The showy pale green foliage makes a great natural backdrop for the vibrant blooms of the annuals. Photograph by Kirill Tkachenko

Wormwood pontic- A. pontica L. Distributed throughout Europe, the Caucasus, Siberia and Central Asia. It settles in dry areas in the forest-steppe and steppe zones. Wormwood Pontic has a creeping rhizome, the stems are thin, strong, up to 1 m long, densely leafy. The leaves are oval, twice or thrice pinnately dissected, all stem, the lower ones with a petiole, the rest are sessile, gray-green above, and almost white below, felty. Baskets are almost spherical, small, drooping, in a narrow paniculate inflorescence, painted whitish-yellow. Blooms in August 30-35 days. Fruiting. In culture since the 16th century. Winters without shelter. Good for molding. In GBS, Moscow, the seeds were collected in 1948 in the Krasnodar Territory, on the slope of the railway. Vegetates from IV to X. Blossoms in IX. The seeds do not ripen. Vye. 70 cm. Flowering is annual and plentiful. Reproduction is vegetative. Decorative, spicy.

Wormwood rutolistnaya - Artemisia rutifolia Steph. ex Spreng. = A. turczaninoviana Bess. Homeland - regions of Siberia and the Far East, Central and Central Asia. Mountain steppes, rocky slopes, talus. Semi-shrub 20-80 cm tall. Lignified perennial stems are highly branched and covered with brownish-gray cracked bark, together with annual shoots form a rounded bush. Annual shoots are greyish-silky with pressed hairs. Petiole leaves without lobules at the base of the petiole, pubescent on both sides. The plate is round or reniform, 0.6-2 cm long. and 0.8-3 cm wide. twice pinnately or twice ternarily dissected into 3-5 lobes. The latter, in turn, are triply or pinnatifid. Terminal lobules linearly oblong, 2-15 mm long. and 0.5-1.5 mm wide. Baskets hemispherical 3.5-5 mm in diameter. rejected or drooping in a racemose or paniculate inflorescence. Involucral leaflets are hairy, outer ones are oblong. Receptacle glabrous or with hairs. Marginal flowers are pistillate, there are 5-15 of them, median flowers are bisexual, including 12-28. Achenes oblong-prismatic, angular-ribbed. Photo Ovchinnikov Yury

Of the other polynyas, medium-sized ones are interesting. n. armenian(A. armeniaca, syn. A. "Canescens") with openwork bluish-gray foliage Artemisia "Canescens" Photo Shakhmanova Tatiana Longhorn. perennial. In GBS, Moscow, seeds were obtained in 1961 from a bot. garden of the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the ArmSSR. Vegetates from IV to X. Blooms from VII to VIII. Seeds in X. High. 80 cm Blooms in the 3rd year. The culture is unstable. Also in GBS Moscow tested: A. austriaca Jacq. - P. Austrian . Krsch. pl. Living plants were collected in 1951 in the Serpukhov district of the Moscow region, on the floodplain terrace of the river. Ok, on the sand. Vegetates from IV to X. Blossoms annually in VIII-IX. Seeds do not always ripen in IX-X. High 72 cm. winter sowing seedlings appear in spring. It grows strongly due to underground shoots. essential oil, decorative. A. dracunculus L.- P. tarragon . Krsch. pl. Living plants were collected in 1965 in the Issyk-Kul basin, near the village. Pokrovka, on the spurs of the ridge. Terskey-Alatau, in the steppe. Vegetates from IV to early X. Blooms from late VII to early IX. Doesn't bear fruit. High 1.5 m Artemisia austriaca Photograph by Kirill Tkachenko A. koizumii Nakai- P. Koizumi . Short text pl. The seeds were collected in 1953 near Korsakov, Sakhalin Region, to the south. slope by the sea. Vegetates from IV to X. Blossoms in IX. Seeds in XI. High 1.4 m A. latifolia Ledeb.- P. broadleaf. Longhorn. pl. Live plants collected in 1951 f. in the Voronezh region, on the steppe plateau. Vegetates from IV to X. Blooms in VIII. Seeds in X. Flowering and fruiting are not always abundant. High 50-85 cm. Vegetative reproduction. Requires well-fertilized soil with the addition of lime. A. littoricola kitam.- P. coastal . Longhorn. sod pl. The seeds were collected in 1963 in a bot. Garden of the Far Eastern Scientific Center of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Vegetates from IV to X. Blossoms in IX. High 1.5 m. When podzimnem sowing shoots appear in IV. A. opulenta pamp.- P. lush . Longhorn. pl. Seeds were collected in 1953 in the Sakhalin region, in bushes near the river. Vegetates from IV to X. Blossoms from VIII for about 2 months. The seeds do not ripen. High 1.9 m. When sown before winter, it blooms in the 1st year, in IX. Reproduction is vegetative. Artemisia dracunculus Photograph by Kirill Tkachenko A. persica Boiss.- P. persian . PC. Seeds were collected in 1950 in the KirgSSR, near the city of Jalalabad, at the top. 2400 m a.s.l. y. m. There is a reproduction of this sample. Vegetates from IV to X. Blossoms in VII. Seeds in VIII-IX. Flowering and fruiting are plentiful. High 80 cm decorative, aromatic. A. rubripes Nakai- P. krasnochereshkovaya . Longhorn. sod pl. Living plants were collected in 1953 at st. Oceanic, in a broad-leaved forest. Vegetates from IV to the end of X. Blossoms in IX-X, more than 1.5 months. The seeds do not ripen. High 2.5 m. When podzimnem sowing blooms in the 1st year in X. Vegetative reproduction. A. rupestris L.- P. rocky . Wintergreen PC. Seeds were collected in 1964 in Int. Tien Shan, on the right bank of the river. Sa-ryjaz, to the top. 3000 m asl y. m.; living plants collected in 1964 in the Inside. Tien Shan, on the saline lakeside plain in the south. coast of the lake Chatyrkel. Blooms in VI-VII. First arr. does not bear fruit, the 2nd bears fruit in VIII. High 30 cm. Reproduction is seed. When podzimnem sowing shoots appear in the spring. Blooms in the 2nd year. The culture is unstable. Recommended for small rocky hills. Artemisia santolinifolia Photograph by Kirill Tkachenko A. santolinifolia Turkish. ex Bess.- P. santolinofolia . Wintergreen PC. Seeds were collected in 1960 in Int. Tien Shan, in the valleys of the Irtash and Chon-Kzyl-Su rivers. Blooms from the end of VIII to X. High. 0.8-1 m. Reproduction is seed. Winter sowing is recommended. Gives abundant self-seeding. Blooms in the 2nd year. Characterized by high vitality. The diameter of the trunk in the lower part is up to 3 cm. A. selengensis Turkish. ex Bess.- P. selenginskaya . Longhorn. sod pl. Living plants were collected in 1952 at Gornota-ezhnaya station, on wet sands. Vegetates from IV to the end of X. Blooms in X (sometimes only buds). The seeds do not ripen. High 2.5 m. Vegetative reproduction. A. sericea Web. ex Stechm.- P. silky . Longhorn. pl. The seeds were collected in 1954 in the Stolby plant; living plants were collected in 1951 in the Voronezh region, on a steppe plateau. Vegetates from IV to IX. Blooms in IX. The seeds do not ripen. High up to 75 cm. Vegetative reproduction. decorative. Artemisia stolonifera Photo of Tatiana Rozantseva A.stenophylla kitam. - P. angustifolia . Longhorn. sod pl. Seeds were collected in 1955 in Primorsky kr., near the village. Stone-Fisherman, on a gravelly slope. Vegetates from IV to the end of X. Blossoms at the end of IX - beginning of X. Does not bear fruit. High 75 cm. Vegetative reproduction. decorative. A. stolonifera (Maxim.) Kom.- P. shoot-bearing . Longhorn. sod pl. Living plants were collected in 1952 at st. Ocean, in oak forest. Vegetates from IV to the end of X. Blooms in X,. flowering is interrupted by frost. The seeds do not ripen. High 1.5 m. Vegetative reproduction. A.umbrosa Turkish. ex DC.- P. shadow . Longhorn. sod pl. Living plants were collected in 1953 at the Gornotayezhnaya station, along dry slopes. Vegetates from IV to the end of X. Blooms in X. Seeds do not ripen. High 2.7 m. Vegetative reproduction. Characterized by high vitality.

Artemisia lactiflora "Guizho"
Photo by Andrey Ganov

Location and soil: undemanding to the soil, extremely drought-resistant and winter-hardy. The main success factor for silver-leaved species is poor, well-drained, neutral soils and a sunny location. Species with green foliage will suit more fertile and moist soils, light shading is possible. With high soil moisture, in culture, with frequent watering, sagebrush can lose their wonderful pubescence, become greener and lose their attractiveness.

When planting, it is a good idea to add sand to the planting hole so that the soil is looser. Peat, especially acidic, is better not to use for this, after all, most types of wormwood grow in semi-deserts and deserts, and some species simply on carbonate soils.

For successful wintering, polynyas, especially undersized ones, need good drainage. Wormwood is unpretentious, grows well and develops on poor, but loose soils. Low-growing species can be planted on the southern exposures of hills, on terraces and retaining walls, in crevices between stones.

Artemisia arborescense
Photo by Marina Shimanskaya

Care: watering is very rare only in extreme heat. The rapid growth of bushes of some species requires regular pruning of rhizomes.or planting in containers. Flowering of wormwood can hardly be called decorative. In some cases, it is even recommended to remove numerous flower stalks that cover the entire plant. This is more often the case for undersized species. Flowering of tall species does not cause negative emotions

Reproduction: seeds, perennial species dividing the bush and segments of rhizomes, and semi-shrub species - also cuttings. Seeds are sown in a semi-warm greenhouse in April. Seedlings dive into 7-9 cm pots of 1-3 pieces.

Artemisia are well cut from May to the end of July. The main thing is that the roots form before the cold weather. Both young and mature shoots, 7-10 cm high, are used for cuttings. Moreover, all parts of the stem are used. They are rooted in beds with loose sandy soil, and only the next year the cuttings are planted in a permanent place. Cuttings do not need shading or frequent watering.

Usage: most species are used as decorative foliage in mixed plantings, dry bouquets, Steller's wormwood - mainly in borders.

Artemisia palmeri
Photo by Marina Shimanskaya

In ornamental gardening, sagebrush is used mainly because of the silvery carved leaves, which, in combination with blue, purple and white flowers, give airiness to the composition. These plants are decorative throughout the summer. Tall species are planted in flower beds to soften sharp, bright colors that simply cannot be combined without gray. For this, long-rhizomatous species can be used, since they do not form dense thickets, but freely germinate between other plants without oppressing them.

Artemisia respond well to a haircut, so compositions of various heights can be formed from them. Wormwood goes well with many plants. You just need to choose the right combinations.

Wormwood can grow in one place for many years. But long-rhizomatous or rhizomatous sprout species "crawl" to a neighboring place. This must be taken into account when including polynyas in flower beds. Therefore, compositions without clear boundaries are more suitable for them.

Artemesia maritima "Sea Wormwood"
Photograph by Kirill Tkachenko

Wormwood can serve as an excellent background for almost any sun-loving plants. A blue fountain of perennial flax soaring up from a group of p tarragon(A. stolonifera), ceases to look rustic and becomes aristocratic and refined. Ordinary asters, translucent through wormwood louis(A. ludoviciana), seem mysterious, especially in light twilight. And it can be the center of the composition. And silver lace Artemisia Schmidt(A. schmidtiana), planted in the form of wings on the edge of the lawn or along the path, will not leave anyone indifferent. Schmidt's dwarf wormwood, surrounded by stonecrops or juveniles, will decorate a low flower garden. She looks great in rock gardens against the background of stones. If the slide is small, you can plant a tiny wormwood caucasian(A. caucasica), and if large, then creeping Steller's Artemisia(A. stelleriana). In the mixborder wormwood Pursha(A. pursha). If you are not too lazy and pinch the growth point at the desired height (while leaving 3-5-7 shoots and removing the rest), it will form funny spherical “bouquets” from the side shoots in a fairly short time. On the large area gorgeous wormwood medicinal(A. abrotanum), or God's tree. Using a pinch, it is very easy to form graceful curly "trees" up to 1.5 m tall from this shrub.

Partners: Perfectly combined with roses of various shades from white to red. Combinations of wormwood with red-leaved or golden forms of plants are interesting: Thunberg's barberry, purple leafy bergenia, small-flowered "Palace Purple", etc. Ornamental cereals are very appropriate in these plantings.

Artemisia umbelliformis (Artemisia laxa) Photo EDSR.	Artemisia schmidtiana "Silver Mound" Photo EDSR.	Artemisia grossgeimii Photo by Olga Bondareva
Artemisia frigida Photo Kravchenko Kirill	Artemisia hololeuca Photo Kravchenko Kirill	Artemisia sericea Photo Kravchenko Kirill

article materials used:
Nina Protasova "What does wormwood smell like" // "Gardener" - 2009 - No. 1

Wormwood is a word-sigh, a word-groan, bitter, like a shackle ringing, and sad, like full of bitterness. It smokes on the hills with a fire of wormwood, and the air is full of its bitterness. “Bitter as wormwood”, “wormwood is a bitter herb” - these expressions have become clichés. In similar contexts, the word "wormwood" is also found in the oldest written monuments.

Once upon a time, two brothers lived in the steppe - Khan Otrok and Khan Syrchan. The Russian prince defeated their army and separated the brothers for a long time. This is narrated by the ancient Volyn Chronicle, skillfully translated into verse by Apollon Maykov. Khan Syrchan sends the singer to return his brother to his native steppe from the mountains of the Caucasus, where he lives in luxury and wealth, and gives the following order:

You sing our songs to him,
When does not respond to the song,
Tie in a bundle emshan steppe
Give it to him and he will return.

In a footnote to the poem, an explanation is given: “Emshan is the name fragrant grass growing in our steppes, probably wormwood.

Millions of hectares are occupied by the steppes, and everywhere this amazing plant- wormwood.

In the southeast of the Peloponnese, the ruins of the temple of Artemis, the goddess of hunting, the moon, fertility, childbearing and healing, have been preserved. In honor of her, the Latin name for wormwood was given - artemisia - the herb of health. In the medieval poem "On the Properties of Herbs", wormwood is called the mother of numerous herbs and it is stated that "those who have tasted this plant may not be at all afraid of any harmful potion, and not one of the animals will dare to touch it."

It is very difficult to tell about all polynyas. Not everyone settled near a person, and their beneficial properties have not been fully studied. A very promising direction is the study of bitter substances of wormwood, attributed by chemists to the class of sesquiterpene lactones. These are not only the most bitter substances. They still have high biological activity, and therefore, they will definitely find application in the national economy.

Some of them were isolated in the laboratory of chemistry of natural compounds of the Institute of Organic Synthesis and Coal Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan; they have already proven themselves to be good herbicides that protect plants from pests. In this laboratory, over the past 10 years, dozens of species of wormwood have been studied, from which 25 sesquiterpene lactones have been isolated. For example, arglabin was obtained from wormwood, arlatin from wormwood, and nitrosine from wormwood. All these are new substances for science with high biological activity. Work on the study of the chemical composition of polynyas continues, and as a result of these studies, new useful substances will be discovered.

A light wind of the steppes brings a slightly bitter aroma of wormwood - such an ordinary and unusual plant.

austrian sagebrush (Artemisia austrica Jacq). Very abundant near human dwellings. Despite its foreign origin, it is the most annoying pasture weed. Austrian sagebrush is an indicator of the state of pastures and settles where overgrazing has occurred. Valuable pasture grasses are disappearing, and Austrian wormwood immediately takes their place. She just needs to find a place and start a root, and then she will win her place among other plants. Wormwood has a lot of thin, long, easily detached rhizomes. There are hundreds of dormant buds on them, and as soon as the mother plant is damaged, they germinate together.
Pulling out a wormwood with a root is a useless exercise; at best, a stem with a small piece of rhizome will remain. Choosing rhizomes with your hands is also not easy, they break off easily. From the smallest surviving pieces, new and new plants arise.
Numerous physiologically active compounds have been found in the aerial part of the plant, one of which, the sesquiterpene lactone pustricin, makes wormwood bitter. A decoction of this wormwood was previously used in medicine against malaria.

Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). It is considered the most bitter plant in our flora. One spoon of crushed wormwood literally, not figuratively, will make a barrel of honey bitter. Bitterness is felt at a dilution of 1: 10,000. Bitterness is due to the presence of 15 sesquiterpene lactones in the herb, among which absinthine, atermizin, and artemoline are of the greatest importance.
For a person who is little versed in botany, Sievers wormwood and wormwood are almost indistinguishable. But looking closely, you can find many differences.
Wormwood - perennial. Its root is branched. By autumn, renewal buds are necessarily formed on it. Wormwood Sievers is a biennial plant, and in plants of the second year of life, renewal buds are not formed. Wormwood usually has several stems, while Sievers wormwood has one, rarely two. The stem of bitter wormwood is not so deeply furrowed, the leaf lobes are wider, the leaves are silvery from fine pubescence.
Wormwood has been known to mankind since time immemorial. In the Bible, in the New Testament, in the Message from John, better known as the Apocalypse, the third angel, who descended to earth from heaven to punish sinners, poisons water sources with the akinthion star (the Greek name for wormwood). In nature, bitter wormwood does not poison water bodies. It has long been used as a medicinal plant. At the Roman celebrations, the winner of the four-horse quadriga competition received the right to drink a sip of bitter wormwood tincture. The Romans believed that the best reward for an athlete is health. The famous Roman physician Lomitserus advised to add wormwood to food as a means of promoting digestion, warming the body. Avicenna recommended wormwood wine in therapeutic doses for hemorrhoids and diseases of the rectum, wormwood boiled with rice and seasoned with honey - against worms and poisoning. “We wash fresh wounds cut in the morning and evening with wormwood water, wetting the handkerchiefs, we apply them,” says the old Russian manuscript.
In the old days, this wormwood was used as a seasoning for fatty dishes (especially roast goose). Its bitterness enhances salivation, the secretion of gastric juice, while the action of fat causes the opposite effect. Wormwood stimulates the appetite and enhances the activity of the digestive glands and, therefore, improves metabolism, neutralizing the influence of fatty foods.
Let's remember the novel by E. M. Remarque "Arc de Triomphe", in which the hero is applied to a glass of absinthe through the page. This is nothing but vodka infused with wormwood, because the name of wormwood is in French- absinthe. Bitter wormwood is also added to vermouth. For several centuries, these wines were produced in millions of liters, until doctors imposed a ban on wormwood wines and tinctures. Excessive drinking led to anemia and impotence in men and miscarriages in pregnant women.
In modern scientific medicine, wormwood preparations are used to stimulate appetite, enhance the activity of the digestive organs. Wormwood excites the central nervous system and enhances hematopoiesis, so it is used for asthenia and epilepsy. Wormwood preparations have an antipyretic effect, so they are prescribed for febrile diseases, malaria, influenza. Wormwood helps with various liver diseases: acute and chronic hepatitis, cholecystitis and cholelithiasis. The addition of wormwood to collections for the treatment of diseases of the liver and gallbladder usually significantly enhances the therapeutic effect of the drugs.
In addition, bitter wormwood has a diuretic, wound healing, anti-inflammatory effect. A decoction of a mixture of wormwood with thyme (1: 4) is used to treat patients with alcoholism (1 tablespoon 3 times a day for 2-3 months)
The high content of biologically active substances requires extremely careful use of wormwood preparations. With prolonged use, poisoning of the body may occur, accompanied by vomiting, diseases of the nervous system. The use of any preparations of wormwood is contraindicated during pregnancy.
For medicinal purposes, wormwood leaves are harvested before flowering or at the beginning of flowering, grass - at the beginning of flowering. Raw leaves allow the presence of a small number of baskets. The leaves are dried in the shade or in a ventilated area, laying them out in a thin layer on paper or fabric. The branches are tied in bunches and hung in the shade in rooms with good air circulation.

lemon wormwood (Artemisia cina Berg ex Poljak). In Kaffa, Fryazh merchants bought from the Arabs “citvar seed” worth its weight in gold and carried it to Genoa, from where it dispersed throughout Europe. Now, few people know that “citvar seed” is dried and candied flower baskets of Kazakh citvar wormwood. The Kazakhs call this plant "Darmine", which means "here is the medicine." Before the revolution, “citvar seed” was one of the few objects of Russian export. Scientists have found the organic substance santonin in the flower baskets of wormwood, which has long been used as an effective anthelmintic agent.
Now chemists have synthesized santonin, and it is produced in factories in sufficient quantities. But Darmin has not lost its practical significance. Wormwood essential oil, which has a pleasant smell, is used in the perfume industry. In medicine, it is known under the name "derminol", it is recommended for rheumatism, as well as for strengthening and enhancing hair growth.
Tsitvarnaya wormwood is introduced into culture and grown in the south of Kazakhstan. Natural thickets, subjected to many years of intensive exploitation, are being restored, and the plant itself was included in the Red Book of the USSR.
The essential oil of lemon wormwood is part of the colognes "Ligo", "Maxim", "Diplomat", "Olympus" and the spirits "Sorceress", produced by the Riga perfumery and cosmetics factory "Dzintars".

annual wormwood (Artemisia annua). An indispensable urban weed: through metal bars, concrete slabs, near the canal and the foundation of the house - everywhere she will find a place for herself. It differs from other polynyas at least in that it is an annual. This is not often found in the vast genus of sagebrush. It is almost completely devoid of pubescence, which is also rare among wormwood, its leaves are light green, almost salad-colored.
The plant is very fragrant. The grass contains up to 4% of light yellow, slightly greenish oil. It has long attracted perfumers and is used to flavor colognes, toilet waters and soap fragrances. It is often used on brooms. In this capacity, it is second only to broom sorghum and another wormwood - broom, which is also an indispensable weed on light sandy loamy soils.

Wormwood Sievers(Artemisia sieversiana Willd). An extensive genus of wormwood. In Eurasia, in northern Africa and in America, there are about 400 species, of which more than 80 are found in Siberia. Among them there are both rare and included in the Red Book of the RSFSR, and there are those that settled near a person and share the fate of weeds with other weeds . Perhaps the most common wormwood in all cities and towns, in all wastelands and on roadsides is Sievers wormwood. Depending on the conditions, it can be small - only 20 cm, and huge - up to 2 m.
This is a biennial plant. In the first year, a rosette of leaves and a carrot root are formed. The following spring, a furrowed stem begins to grow, on which pentagonal in shape, strongly dissected leaves appear. In August, wormwood begins to bloom. Up to 500 baskets are formed on each plant, up to 30 flowers in each basket, and 5 stamens in each flower. Each one sheds pollen. The wind took care of cross-pollination.
Pollen rises into the air and is a source of allergic diseases. Most of these diseases were registered in August. During this period, more than 300 pollen grains are deposited per 1 m 2, therefore, an uncompromising struggle must be carried out with the Sievers wormwood in urban wastelands.
Sievers wormwood is one of the most bitter wormwoods. Bitterness is due to the presence of sesquiterpene lactones and, first of all, arborescine, artemoline, siversin and others dissolved in essential oils. In total, 8 sesquiterpene lactones were found in this wormwood.
In Western Siberia, Sievers wormwood grass is laid out in cellars against mice and rats. In the 30s. of the last century, Omsk agronomist V.I. Kopyrin. On fallows, the grass gives up to 240 c/ha of green mass. It was found that it contains 15.6% protein, 5.6% fat, 28.2% fiber.
In the second half of summer, cattle eat it on pastures, and sheep and goats willingly eat hay. The plant is well ensiled. The silo is suitable for sheep and cattle. It is not recommended to graze dairy cows in areas where Sievers sagebrush grows, as the milk becomes bitter in taste, and this also gives a sagebrush smell to all dairy products obtained from it.

Sitnik wormwood. Some wormwood can tell geologists where underground treasures are stored. For example, rushwort grows in places with high content in copper rocks. Special studies have shown that by the degree of accumulation of the chemical element rhenium in wormwood ash, it is possible to very accurately determine the boundaries of the occurrence of the ore body of this rarest metal.

It is known from history that Peter I in the Crimean campaign lost 500 horses in one night as a result of poisoning. Tauride polynya. In the 1960s The sesquiterpene lactone tauremesin was isolated from the aerial part of Artemisia Taurida. In 1964, this remedy was approved for use in medical practice as a cardiotonic. Subsequently, thaumeresin, a substance that excites the central nervous system, was isolated from this wormwood.

(Artemisia dracunculus). In the story “Grasses”, V. Soloukhin wrote the following phrase: “But if you do not go into details, then for the people, any wormwood is first of all bitter, and any bitter wormwood is quite ordinary.” I cannot agree with this statement. Indeed, wormwood is a symbol of bitterness, but there are a lot of non-bitter wormwoods. Tell an Abkhazian or a Georgian that any wormwood is bitter, and he will smile incredulously. In his concept, wormwood is fragrant and fragrant. By the name of this fragrant wormwood - tarragon - a fragrant greenish drink is named, which was enjoyed by children and adults.
What is a tarragon plant? It turns out that it can be found in any wasteland, in almost all regions of Siberia. Unlike other sagebrushes, it has simple lanceolate leaves, pointed at the ends, resembling a dragon's tongue. Obviously, therefore, the Crusaders, who brought tarragon to Western Europe from Western Asia, gave it the name - dracunculus (little dragon). In the Near and Middle East, in North Africa, this plant, known from time immemorial, was very popular. The physician and botanist Ibn Bayter (a Spanish Arab who lived in the 13th century) noted in his writings that fresh tarragon shoots were boiled with vegetables, and the juice squeezed from this plant was used to improve the taste of drinks. He wrote that tarragon makes the breath "sweet", relieves the bitterness of medicines and promotes good sleep. The value of this plant gives a large amount of essential oil contained in the leaves, ascorbic acid, carotene, coumarin.
In folk medicine, tarragon is widely used as an appetite enhancer and digestive aid. It has a calming effect on the central nervous system and relieves convulsive manifestations in nervous patients, and is also used as a diuretic in the treatment of dropsy. Tarragon is also used as a remedy for beriberi.
The main value of tarragon is its spicy-aromatic properties. Housewives love to put it in marinades when pickling cucumbers and tomatoes. Tarragon gives the marinade flavor, and cucumbers - a fortress and a refined taste. For the preparation of marinades and tarragon mustard, tarragon vinegar is used. It is especially popular in France. To prepare it, tarragon leaves are added to a bottle or jar with table vinegar, covered with a glass lid and infused for 10-12 days in the sun. After which it is drained and stored in bottles, adding to it a leaf of bitter wormwood and a piece german iris, which we breed as an ornamental plant.
If you don’t have a wasteland nearby where tarragon grows, you can grow it in your backyard or summer cottage. It belongs to perennial crops and grows in one place for 8–15 years, but how vegetable plant it should be grown no more than 4 years. During this period, it gives a high stable yield of green mass. Tarragon is a weed and can grow on the poorest and waste soils, but, of course, on garden soils, the yield is higher. Fertilizers should be used with extreme caution, because an increase in leaf mass leads to a decrease in aromaticity, and such plants are susceptible to powdery mildew.

Cultivars are cultivated. For about a hundred years, varieties "Russian" and "French" have been grown. Widely distributed "Gribovsky-31", characterized by delicate stems, essential oils and high yields. Tarragon is propagated by seeds, and varietal - vegetatively. When propagated by seeds, sowing is carried out directly into the ground, or by obtaining seedlings. Tarragon seeds are very small, germinate slowly, 2–3 weeks after sowing, in early spring they are sown in greenhouses or hotbeds in seed boxes, seedlings are planted in a greenhouse or nursery according to a 5 x 5 cm pattern.
After two months, the seedlings are planted in a permanent place. AT open ground seeds are sown in late April-May. Sowing is carried out in a wide-row way, the seeds are planted to a depth of 0.5 cm. The seedlings are thinned out. Seeding rate - 0.5 kg/ha. For vegetative propagation, tarragon is cut in June. Cuttings 10–15 cm long are cut on mother plants and rooted in a greenhouse. The greenhouse is filled with soil, consisting of humus in half with sand, then cuttings are planted to a depth of 4-5 cm. Greenhouses are covered with frames and mats, they are aired. Rooting of cuttings occurs after 1.5-2 weeks. The uterine bushes can be divided into parts or dig out shoots.
Tarragon is planted in a permanent place at a distance of 60 cm between plants. In the year of planting, one mowing is carried out closer to autumn. In subsequent years, the plants are mowed 4–6 times per season, as soon as they reach a height of 20–25 cm, each time leaving shoots at least 10 cm long. The first fees go to salads, closer to autumn, the coarsened stems are cut off and used to make marinades. Tarragon greens must be dried quickly, and the air temperature should not exceed 35 ° C, otherwise the aroma will disappear, and the plant itself will turn brown.

Bitter wormwood, unexpectedly grown in a summer cottage, is perceived by many as a useless weed, which, moreover, is quite difficult to remove. However, despite the fact that wormwood is rarely found in pharmacies on the same shelf as chamomile and calendula, it has a number of healing properties and occupies an important place in folk medicine.

Wormwood is one of the most bitter herbs, and many people are put off by its specific taste: there are fears that the use of wormwood can cause heartburn, and in the worst cases, disruption of the digestive system. But in reality, the correct use of this plant will help to cope with a wide range of diseases.

How to collect wormwood

This plant prefers desert places: often wormwood can be found in abandoned areas, as well as on roadsides or on deaf forest edges.

Wormwood is a herbaceous plant that can reach a height of two meters. The stalks of wormwood are erect, branching towards the top. At the base of its leaves are bipinnate, on short petioles, at the top - trifoliate. The flowering period is July and August, at which time yellow basket flowers appear, collected in inflorescences in the form of panicles.

The basal leaves of this plant are suitable for use as a medicine, as well as foliage from the tops (it is called grass) and flowers. Grass and flowers of wormwood are harvested during flowering, and leaves - before it begins. If this rule is not observed, the grass will darken during drying, and the flowers may crumble.

A self-assembled plant must be thoroughly washed: despite the anti-inflammatory effect, poor-quality raw materials can infect wounds. Dry wormwood should be in the shade, laying out thin layer and periodically turning over. Subject to these rules, dried wormwood should retain its smell and taste. You can store raw materials for two years.

Medicinal properties and chemical composition

Diverse health effect Artemisia is driven by her chemical composition. It includes:

1. Essential oil. Thanks to him, wormwood affects the central nervous system, which stimulates the body's fight against infectious diseases, and also improves the functioning of the respiratory system.
2. bitter glycosides. Because of them, wormwood has a specific smell and taste, irritates the taste buds in the oral cavity and, thereby, improves the functioning of the digestive system, in particular, increases the secretion of bile.
3. Vitamin C. With its help, wormwood helps to strengthen the immune system, fight infections. In addition, acid promotes the absorption and synthesis of a number of useful trace elements in the body.
4. Saponins. They have a sedative, diuretic, expectorant effect.
5. Phytoncides. They stimulate cardiovascular activity, and also help in the treatment of trophic ulcers and purulent wounds.

It should be remembered that wormwood is used as an accompanying method of treatment along with a complex of other drugs.

Important! Wormwood is toxic, therefore, when using it, the dosage should be strictly observed. It is also dangerous to exceed the course of treatment, wormwood should not be drunk for more than two weeks. An overdose of preparations of this plant can cause hallucinations, convulsions and convulsions.

Contraindications

There are a number of strict contraindications for use:

• Hypersensitivity to the components of wormwood.
• Liver failure.
• Renal failure.
• Pregnancy.
• lactation period.
• Children's age up to 12 years.

Indications for use

Wormwood is used in the treatment and prevention of a wide range of diseases. Its main properties include:

• tonic;
• wound healing;
• choleretic;
• antispasmodic;
• hemostatic;
• expectorant;
• painkiller;
• antipyretic;
• sedative;
• tonic;
• antifungal;
• diuretic;
• anti-inflammatory.

Due to the rich chemical composition of wormwood, various preparations based on it are used in the treatment of the following groups of diseases:

Wormwood is suitable for both indoor and outdoor use. The following types of drugs are made from it:

• Decoction.
• Tincture.
• Powder.
• Ointment.

Decoction
The classic decoction of wormwood helps in the fight against diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, tuberculosis, and fever. Due to its anti-infective properties, it also helps eliminate bad smell from mouth. Wormwood decoction enhances appetite, is used as a tonic and antipyretic. For its preparation, both leaves and herbs and flowers of wormwood are suitable. Two tablespoons of crushed raw materials are poured with a glass of boiling water and boiled for 2-3 minutes. Strained broth should be diluted with another glass of water and used in a tablespoon three times a day before meals.

When applied externally, the decoction has a wound-healing and hemostatic effect, helps fight irritation and inflammation at the site of mosquito and bee stings. Wormwood decoction is also used for enemas in the fight against worms. Store the decoction for no more than two days.

Tincture
To prepare a tincture of wormwood, pour a tablespoon of the plant with 10 tablespoons of 70% alcohol, and then insist for two weeks. Apply the drug after straining a teaspoon three times a day (before meals).

Indications for use - stress-induced insomnia, worms, viral colds. Externally, the tincture is used in the form of compresses for eczema and fungal infections, as well as for rubbing with rheumatic pain in the joints.

Unlike a decoction, wormwood tincture has many more contraindications. Can't be used for?

• stomach or duodenal ulcer;
• increased secretion of the stomach;
• acute form of cholecystitis;
• hyperacid gastritis;
• as well as hypersensitivity.

It is recommended to take the tincture until the symptoms of the disease disappear. Exceeding the daily dose or increasing the period of treatment is fraught with the occurrence of headaches, convulsions, tremors. Allergic side effects include itching and redness of the skin, angioedema, heartburn, nausea, and diarrhea.

It is important to remember: absinthe and vermouth, the composition of which may seem similar to the usual tincture of wormwood, do not have medicinal properties, and are not used in traditional medicine.

Powder
Powdered herb wormwood is taken in half a teaspoon after meals. Its effect is similar to tincture, but the powder acts more aggressively, so its use must be treated with more care, the course of treatment should be no more than seven days. The recommended regimen involves a reduction in dosage. On the first day they drink it six times, on the last - only three.

The juice
Wormwood juice, which is squeezed from fresh leaves and branches of the plant, is taken only with honey because of its bitterness - a tablespoon three times a day before meals.

When applied externally, the juice has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, it is used for dressings for injuries and corns. It also helps to stop bleeding, decontaminates open wounds and speeds up their healing.

Ointment
For external use for injuries, sprains, burns, bruises and eczema, wormwood ointment is also used. There are three popular recipes for its preparation:

1. A teaspoon of thick tincture of wormwood is mixed with vegetable oil (100 grams).
2. Half a liter of melted lard mixed with fresh chopped wormwood (100 grams), simmer in a water bath for two hours, then decant.
3. Chopped fresh wormwood (glass) is poured olive oil, tightly close and insist for two weeks, until the ointment acquires a green tint.

Regardless of the method of preparation, wormwood ointment should be stored in the refrigerator.

Combination with other drugs

Wormwood is often used in combination with herbs and flowers to enhance their effect. So, to combat insomnia, it is recommended to take a decoction of wormwood and mint, since both plants have a calming property. To achieve the same goal, you can mix wormwood with chamomile.

To normalize metabolism, as well as to combat headaches and depression, it is recommended to take a decoction of wormwood and St. John's wort or chamomile flowers.

Depending on what kind of disease is planned to be treated using wormwood, it can be mixed with various natural preparations, there are no strict restrictions in this matter. However, it is important to assess side effects and contraindications to the use of all components.

Cosmetology

Bitter wormwood is actively used in cosmetology, as it helps to care for oily skin, fight acne, excessive sweating and inflammation.

The plant has an anti-inflammatory effect, but despite this, the procedure for cleansing the face before using wormwood cannot be neglected. It is necessary to comply with all sanitary standards, otherwise the positive effect of using this plant will not be so noticeable.

For problematic facial skin, washing with a decoction of wormwood is suitable, it can also be frozen and used as a tonic. Steam baths with a decoction of wormwood are also effective, as well as treatment of problem areas of the skin with tincture.

Crushed fresh wormwood or powder is used in face masks. They are not recommended to be done more than twice a week, there are no restrictions on the duration of the course. To normalize the condition of the skin, the following recipes are suitable:

1. Oatmeal is brewed in a decoction of wormwood (in proportions of 1 to 1) and applied to the skin for 20 minutes, then washed off with cold water.
2. A decoction of wormwood is added in equal proportions to a cream against dermatitis, then applied in a thick layer for 15-20 minutes. In this case, wormwood enhances the effect cosmetic product helping to deal with inflammation faster.
3. A tablespoon of wormwood is brewed in 150 milliliters of water, allowed to brew for about an hour. The broth is decanted, and the remaining grass is mixed with sour cream (2 tablespoons). The resulting mixture is applied in a thick layer for 15 minutes, then removed with a napkin, and the skin is rinsed with the remaining decoction. This mask helps fight redness.
4. To heal acne and fight oily sheen, a mask of wormwood, sage, St. John's wort and oak bark is suitable. A tablespoon of each drug is mixed in two glasses of water, boiled for 10 minutes. Warm herbs are applied to the face for 20 minutes, then washed off with a decoction.
5. A mask of wormwood and chamomile helps fight acne and burns. It requires a decoction of herbs in equal proportions. A napkin is moistened in it, which is used as a compress on the affected areas of the face. It should be kept for half an hour, then it is recommended to wash with the remaining broth.

Alcoholism

Wormwood is one of the herbs, the use of which helps in the fight against alcoholism. When used properly, this herb can help with hangovers as well as alcohol addiction.

As a rule, it is recommended to use it without the knowledge of the patient, because alcoholics often deny that they have an addiction and will not take the drug of their own free will. In this case, it is necessary to carefully study the possible side effects, as well as the likelihood of allergic reactions, at the risk of their occurrence, the use of wormwood to combat alcoholism is prohibited.

The development of alcoholism is associated with withdrawal symptoms. With a sharp refusal of alcohol after its prolonged use, a person develops a number of psychopathological and somatoneurological symptoms, in particular, dry mouth, tachycardia, sweating, heaviness in the head, vomiting, tremors, in the worst cases - anxiety, negative attitude towards others and nightmares. To avoid the manifestation of these symptoms, the patient again consumes alcohol, which dulls their manifestation.

Wormwood in this case helps to cope with the withdrawal syndrome, and therefore the need for further alcohol intake in an addicted person gradually disappears.

In the fight against alcoholism, several recipes using wormwood are effective. Drugs are taken no more than 10 days.

1. Brew a teaspoon of wormwood in two cups of boiling water, leave for half an hour. Strained broth take a quarter cup three times a day before meals.
2. A decoction of wormwood and centaury (in equal parts) take a tablespoon three times a day.
3. Steep a tablespoon of wormwood with a glass of boiling water. Decanted decoction taken in three divided doses before meals.
4. A mixture of tinctures of thyme, wormwood and centaury (4 to 1 to 1) take a tablespoon three times a day.

In order for the bitter taste of wormwood not to cause suspicion in the patient, it is recommended to add honey to the decoction and tincture.

Video: useful properties of wormwood

Used by our ancestors. Strong amulets were made from it against enemies and troubles, and with the help of a drug based on wormwood, they caused damage. However, despite this, the plant was also used for economic purposes. From this article you will learn the complete characteristics, as well as everything about undersized and tall plant species.

Wormwood: general description of the genus

Wormwood is a member of the Astrov family. The name of the plant is associated with the name of the goddess Artemis, although many call it "evshan". But if you have never encountered it and do not even know where wormwood grows, then we will tell you about it now. You can meet the plant in the wild in the temperate zone of Eurasia, North America and in North and South Africa. For example, seaside wormwood is found in dry and barren steppes, drooping wormwood - in the wormwood steppe in Central Asia.

The plant is often considered both biennial and annual. It is referred to as a semi-shrubby, and to.

However, for each variety there is one characteristic difference - the arrangement of the leaves. Artemisia inflorescences form into baskets. The flowers are pink, yellow and white.

Depending on the species, openwork leaves of wormwood are distinguished by silver-white, silver-blue, steel and grayish-green color.

Another difference in the types of decorative wormwood is the height of the plant. Low-growing plants grow up to 20 cm in height, and tall ones - up to 1 m.

And can withstand long periods without water.

Now that you know what wormwood looks like, let's move on to describing each type of plant.

Tall species of wormwood

If you want beautifully, then you will need tall wormwood, the description of which we will give in the following sections.

It is difficult to count how many species of wormwood exist in the world. However, we will talk in detail about the most popular of them, such as, for example, Gmelin's wormwood (another name for this species is "Sacrificial"). This plant belongs to. Reaches up to 1 m in height. Upright stems are woody closer to the root.

It grows in the Far East in forest meadows, forest edges, clearings, river and pebble coasts.
For medicinal purposes, the tops of the shoots are collected. Collection is carried out during flowering.

The composition of medicinal wormwood includes (a-pinene, p-pinene, p-cymol, limonene, borneol, camphor and camphene), tannins, vitamin C, organic acids, as well as alkaloids, coumarins, rubber and bioflavonoids.
Wormwood Gmelin has antipyretic, analgesic, expectorant, decongestant, anti-inflammatory properties. Used to prepare the medicine "Hamazulen".

A plant such as wormwood is considered perennial and herbaceous.

This species has a strong aroma and wormwood bitterness. This is the most bitter plant that is used in the preparation of medicine.

Did you know? Wormwood is the main ingredient in the fairly popular absinthe drink.

Europe is considered the birthplace of this species of wormwood, although it has been growing in North Africa and Western Asia for a long time. It is used in Southern Europe, the USA, where wormwood-based oil is produced.
You can meet the plant along roads, in weedy gardens, meadows, near houses and forest edges.

Wormwood grows up to 2 m in height. Shoots erect, with silvery-felt pubescence. The flowers are yellow, spherical baskets grow up to 3.5 mm in diameter.

Wormwood leaves (before flowering) contain sesquiterpene lactones, bitter glycosides, salonins, phytoncides, ascorbic acid, essential oil, carotene and organic acids.

The essential oil contains thuyl alcohol, thujone, cadinene, curcumene, chamazulenogen and linen. The aerial part of wormwood contains absinthine, otabsin, ketolactones A and B, artemisetin and oxylactone.
In medicine, wormwood leaves collected at the beginning of flowering are used. They are used in the preparation of essential oils and some medicines. The plant has a very bitter taste and irritates the taste nerves in the mouth. It enhances the function of the gastrointestinal tract.

Wormwood is also used in cooking as a spice for fried meat dishes.

Important! Wormwood should not be consumed during pregnancy.

The plant is often used in the fight against and caterpillars. The aerial part is used to dye the fabric in any shades of green.

Wormwood Louisiana grows up to 90 cm in height. It has whitish leaves and yellow flowers.

This is a perennial plant that blooms in August. Most often, its varieties are found, which are planted in the form of decoration.

This species is native to North America.
Often, plants are used as a protector from, which often lives in our things. In medicine, only the aerial part of the wormwood is used. Decoctions, tinctures and extracts are made from it. Wormwood powder and juice are used internally.

Important! P deer must not be used long time, as it causes hallucinogenic states, convulsions and seizures.

The variety of wormwood includes lactic-flowered, which has the following description:

1. Grows up to two meters in height.
2. It is a perennial plant.
3. It has openwork and large leaves, the color is dark green.
4. Flowers are small cream color, with fragrant aroma.

Such a large wormwood is used as a, especially in mixed plantings, for decoration and.
Looks beautiful wormwood lactiferous between the bushes.

Wormwood grass of the annual species is indeed an annual herbaceous plant. You can meet her in Eastern and Central Asia, as well as in Southern and Southeastern Europe. It grows in soot, near railways and in sandy areas. Considered a weed.

The annual wormwood contains essential oils with a pleasant smell, ascorbic acid, tannins and alkaloids. In 1972, wormwood was used to create a cure for malaria. Nowadays above-ground part plants are used as an aromatic seasoning. The essential oil is used to create perfumes and soaps.
The aerial part is used in malaria and dysentery. You can also make red skin dye, and the roots can be used to make lemon yellow dye for leather, wool, and silk. This type of wormwood is used in the summer cottage more as a decoration.

Wormwood rutolistnaya grows up to 80 cm in height. This is a steppe wormwood that can be found in Western Siberia, Central Asia and Eastern Siberia.
Stems, leaves and inflorescences of wormwood are used in medicine. The plant contains essential oils, aromatic compounds, scopoletin, organic acids, flavonoids and p-hydroxyacetophenone.

Essential oil has an antibacterial effect and is used not only in treatment, but also in perfumery. Infusions of wormwood are used for dysuria, and freshly ground herb is used for toothache.
A decoction helps with sore throat, and infusions - with diseases of the heart and stomach.

Undersized species of wormwood

The low-growing species of sagebrush are used as decorative ornaments, and in this section you will learn about their main characteristics with common names.

Now that you know what tall wormwood looks like, let's move on to the description. undersized species this herb.
Wormwood Schmidt is a perennial plant with a bitter-spicy aroma. Grass grows up to 20 cm in height. Its leaves are silvery and deeply dissected. The flowers of the plant are small. Most often, it is used to decorate borders and rocky hills, but it also looks original in flower beds.

Can be an excellent background for bright low roses.

Did you know? In ancient times in England, wormwood was scattered in courtrooms. This was thought to prevent the spread of "prison fever".

Steller's wormwood attracts attention with its openwork leaves. They are silvery and pleasant to the touch. This type wormwood is used as garden decoration. She decorates the slopes of the terraces, retaining walls, rocky hills. It also goes well with colorful plants.
True to its name and species group, Steller's Artemisia can be found on rocky slopes, where the plant grows up to 30 cm in length. It grows in the Far East, Japan and Norway.