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Artemisia - Wormwood - Sweet Annie (Artemisia annua) Organic Non GMO Sweet Wormwood Heirloom Herb

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Artemisia - Sweet Annie ( Artemisia annua) Organic Non GMO Sweet Wormwood Heirloom Herb

Annual

Height 48 - 72 in

Artemisia annua, also known as sweet wormwood, sweet annie, sweet sagewort, annual mugwort or annual wormwood, is a common type of wormwood native to temperate Asia, but naturalized in many countries including scattered parts of North America. This variety is a tall plant with sweet smelling airy and fern-like dark green foliage dotted with tiny creamy-yellow flowers. The foliage is typically used with mixed bouquets to add lots of visual interest.

Sweet Annie is an herb -the parts that grow above the ground are used to make medicine. Sweet Annie contains a chemical called artemisinin that seems to be effective against the parasites that cause malaria. Some drug manufacturers make anti-malarial medications from artemisinin that they have modified in the laboratory. Sweet Annie should not be used alone for malaria since it may only inactivate the parasites that cause malaria, not actually kill them. The amount of artemisinin in sweet Annie might be too small to kill all the parasites that cause malaria, but large enough to make these parasites resistant to further treatment with more powerful malaria drugs that also contain artemisinin - one of the most effective anti-malarial compounds, now showing promise in treating Lyme disease and cancers.

Sweet Annie is also used by mouth for bacterial, fungal, viral, and parasitic infections along with many other uses. Sweet Annie is sometimes applied directly to the skin for bacterial and fungal infections and joint, muscle, or nerve pain, however, there is no  proven scientific research to support any of these uses.

A wormwood tea can be made by adding 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (2.5 to 5 grams) of the herb to 1 cup (250 ml) of boiling water, then steeping for ten to fifteen minutes. Many doctors recommend drinking three cups (750 ml) each day. Tincture, 10–20 drops in water, can be taken ten to fifteen minutes before each meal. Consult an expert before use.

Essential oil from the foliage is used in the perfume industry. The plant has been used in China for centuries to treat malaria, tuberculosis, dyspepsia, dysentery, jaundice, boils and eye diseases. Antiseptic and antibacterial. Fast growing and reseeds.

  • Full sun to part shade
  • well draining soil
  • Direct sow outdoors on the soil surface and lightly tamp them without covering them. Water in lightly.
  • OR start seeds indoors- plant in well-draining soil 5 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Lightly cover the seeds with soil and mist the seeds, keep the soil moist. Once two sets of true leaves appear, you can move the seedlings to larger containers and begin hardening them off. Transplant outdoors when all risk of frost has passed.
  • Spacing: 3 ft apart
  • Matures in 120 days
  • Harvesting: usually done in mid-summer. When the plants are fully flowering, pick the upper portions of the stalks. Tie the stalks together and hang them upside down in a dark well-ventilated place. When the stalks are dried, store them in an air-tight container in a dark place.
  • Seed Count: 25