Thursday, September 27, 2012

Health benefits of Mugwort

Good Morning!  I meant to share this info with you earlier in the week but I lost track of time.  Here we go!

Mugwort, aka wormwood, sailor's tobacco, felon herb, chrysanthemum weed, traveler's plant, and St. John's Plant (not St. John's Wort) is a very potent and beneficial herb.

What is Mugwort?
"Many herbalists used mugwort to treat a wide range of symptoms including digestive problems and menstrual irregularity. Folklore also held that mugwort placed under the pillow or burned in the bedroom would bring vivid, intense dreams. This may well be true, since thujone, the toxin in mugwort, is also found in wormwood, the primary ingredient in absinthe. The plant was also traditionally used to flavor beers and wines, and some cooks included it as a bitter ingredient in savory dishes." Source

Health Benefits of Mugwort 
Mugwort can be used as an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, diaphoretic, diuretic, haemostatic and to promote healthy digestion. 

Mugwort can also work to relax and sooth anxiety and stress.  Additional benefits include relief of exhaustion, nervousness, and mild depression. 

For women, Mugwort can help stimulate or regulate menstruation and can be used for painful menstrual cramps. 

Want to Grow your Own?
From Wisegeek, "The plant can grow up to 18 feet (6 meters) in height, and it has hairy angular stalks which are tinted with purple. The leaves are deeply segmented and often serrated, and the flowers are small, with a purple to red color. Mugwort can be found wild all over the world, and sometimes volunteers itself in cultivated gardens as well. Since it is highly tenacious, this can be disruptive, and gardeners who do not want mugwort in their gardens should be aggressive about eliminating it. The flowering period ranges from July to September."
Tip:  If you want this one in your garden and you don't want it to take over, it's important to have deep sound borders around it. Once they start they will grow rapidly, and can be difficult to control. 

Growing from seed is very simple.  I use peat pellets for almost all of my seed starting.  Plant the seed and cover with approx 1/4 inch of light soil.  Seeds germinate in 4-10 days.  Once the seedling has grown 3-5 inches, transplant to it's permanent home.

Happy Planting!

19 comments:

Lisa @ Two Bears Farm said...

What great information! I had no idea it went by so many names.

Mary Smith said...

Hey Lisa! I forgot to mention Motherwort!

Tami said...

Great blog, visiting from Our Everyday Harvest. Now following.

Have a great weekend!
Tami

momto8 said...

did not know this..thanks for the info!

Nancy said...

Thanks for the info! I've grown a lot of herbs, but never this one. Thanks also for the warning about it being invasive...that's a huge help!

Nancy from livininthegreen.blogspot.com

Jana said...

Wow, so informative. I am so impressed with its extensive benefits. I have never heard it called Mugwort before, but it sure is cute! Jana http://www.adoctorandanurse.com from the back to basics blog hop.

Nancy said...

Great information -- always love learning about natural remedies.

Mary Smith said...

Thanks for all of the positive feedback! Have a great weekend!

Jessica said...

Sounds like something to add to my herb garden! Thanks so much for sharing!!!

Mama's High Strung said...

Thanks for stopping by Sweet Saturday... will this withstanding really cold temperatures?

Mary Smith said...

I'm not sure how hardy it is to cold weather. It's best to start your seeds indoors when it's still cold (march/april) and plant into the garden after your last frost.

Sue Frelick said...

The leaves remid me of lovage, but not the height! Visiting from Farmgirl Friday and enjoyed my visit.

Nicole said...

That sounds like very powerful stuff. Thanks for sharing!

Jessi @ Practically Functional said...

Wow, I didn't realize they could get so big! Thanks for sharing this at The Fun In Functional!

Angela said...

Looks like I need to make room for this in our herb patch. Thanks for sharing!

amanda said...

This is an herb I dont use much but it looks like I should really keep it close! Thanks for the post.

I would love it if you would share this on my new blog hop Natural Living Monday! It is right up your alley. http://wp.me/p2pBvv-xX

Becca said...

I love reading about the natural remedies God gave us in His creation! Thanks for sharing at A Humble Bumble. :)

Unknown said...

Great info! Thanks!

Becky Elmuccio said...

I hadn't really heard about mugwort. Thanks for sharing this informative post on Tuesday Greens.