Seed – Wormwood

Description

Planting/Growing Wormwood Discussion:

(Photo of Absinthe Wormwood)

Anyone that is looking for the most potent medicinal plants, may want to consider getting wormwood. It is known as one of, if not THE most potent anti-parasitic plant on the planet! It is certainly the most universally used, in our opinion. If you grow your own, as I do, a single plant may supply your entire family. We offer two variations: Absinthe and Sweet Wormwood.

Absinthe wormwood is a perennial, meaning that it returns every year. What I find most impressive about it is that it can be harvested up to six times per summer! It depends on if you want its foliage or seed. For the seed, it may be best to leave it be and not interrupt it for a season. Sweet wormwood is an annual that can only be harvested once.

Wormwood can grow in any soil but it prefers dry and sandy conditions, like that of dirt roads and pastures. It produces a large taproot, from which it grows upright. It can grow up to 5 ft. tall and 2 ft. wide. Its flowers are small and yellow, shaped like tiny discs, and forming at the top of the stems. It flowers from July to September and a single stem can produce up to 50,000 seeds!

Its toxicity factor always seems to be in question. Wormwood has been used medicinally for centuries. It seems as though someone may want us to fear this plant. Years ago it was banned, until a private researcher claimed that its toxicity is a factor if it is taken in very large quantities. To stay on the safe side, it is suggested by herbalists to take on a two-week rotation, as in two weeks on, two weeks off. Aside from that, it has been used in food recipes for centuries, as it has been used in stews and soups.

The absinthe root is best left in the ground, to return the following year, and because it has the most toxic compounds. Sweet wormwood roots should not be used as well but the whole plant can be pulled. You should not consume its roots. Seedlings pop up in the Spring and it can be planted after the threat of frost.

We are told to scarify the seeds by soaking them in water for 24 hours. Honestly, I have never done so, nor had any issues with its germination. It needs 60 days of stratification, 30 cold, 30 warm. Sow the seeds by patting them into the top of the soil and then keeping it moist until they break ground 7-21 days later.

It is banned in the states of Washington and South Dakota.

We carry tinctures, colloidal tinctures, glycerites, herbal tea, loose powder, and capsules of both wormwood variations, elsewhere on this site. To purchase one, or to read about the possible benefits of Wormwood, Click Here. Lastly, we also carry the essential oil, or the essence, of the wormwood plant. It can be found by Clicking Here. 

Happy Planting!!!