Artemisia draws praise for its wide range of purposes

When evaluating potential candidates for Herb of the Year status, the International Herb Association's (IHA) Horticultural Committee judges plants in three categories: medicinal, culinary and decorative. Selections must be outstanding in at least two of them, but 2014's top herb(s), the Artemisia genus, hit a triple.

"Artemisia," IHA notes on its website, www.iherb.org, "has a long history, prominent in folklore, its virtues used in numerous ways: to protect and heal, create tasty beverages and foods, decorate the home and work its magical properties."

Sources differ, but there are somewhere between 200 and 400 species in the genus, all members of the Asteraceae, or daisy, family. Primarily at home in the temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere, artemisias are characterized by their pale gray to silver foliage, which often is aromatic and covered with white hairs, giving it a downy appearance. Many are referred to as wormwoods.

To varying degrees, the entire genus is a source of volatile oils, some of which are quite toxic. Depending on growing conditions, the potency of essential oils differs even in plants of identical species.

Artemisia vulgaris, which goes by a number of common names, is best known as mugwort. Its leaves are a little less silvery and less divided than some others in the genus, so it isn't highly regarded as a decorative plant and, in fact, has been termed an invasive species in some Northeastern states. A variegated variety has more visual appeal.

For centuries, mugwort has been highly regarded for medicinal and other uses.

Historical medicinal applications include treatment of digestive and gastrointestinal maladies. It has been used for reproductive system disorders, to treat liver-related afflictions such as jaundice and hepatitis, and to cure bladder infections. It also is said to be effective treatment of various internal parasites.

In addition to being antibacterial, mugwort's essential oils are antispasmodic. These "nervine" properties, wrote Mrs. M. Grieve in her 1931 "A Modern Herbal," are "valued in palsy, fits, epileptic and similar afflictions."

Dried mugwort has been smoked as a mild euphoric, and a tea made of the plant's leaves is said to produce a calming effect. Such uses stimulate appetite — the munchies — and are said to induce lucid dreams and increased recall.

Mugwort also has traditionally been used to ward off demons, evil spirits, unwanted animals and insects.

Before hops came into use as a flavoring for beer, mugwort served the purpose. Some have speculated that this use accounts for the "mug" in its name, but Grieve suggests it is derived from the Old English word for "moth" or "maggot," "moughte," in reference to its use as a moth repellent.

A. dracunculus "Sativa," commonly known as French tarragon, is one of my favorite culinary herbs. It has a flavor somewhat similar to anise, perfect in egg dishes and a key ingredient in my curry dressing. It is not reliably perennial in my garden, but I know area gardeners who have better luck with it.

A. annua is best known as "Sweet Annie." This tall, ferny, self-seeding annual with its panicles of tiny round flower heads is highly and wonderfully aromatic. I don't remember how it first came to my garden, but it annually reappears here and there in my flowerbeds, and I leave a few plants just for the little rush of scent I get when I brush against it. One of the prettiest, most delicate wreaths I've ever seen was made from this artemisia.

A chemical in Annie's leaves, artemisinin, is used as a highly effective antimalarial agent, killing the parasites that cause the deadly disease.

A. absinthium, also known as wormwood, is shrubby plant used to make a beverage known as absinthe. Mixed with anise and other herbs, it is bottled as a concentrate, meant to be diluted with ice water and sweetened to make a refreshing aperitif. Known as "The Green Fairy," this beverage has been touted to have both narcotic and aphrodisiac effects and is purported to increase creativity because of the presence of thujone, a neurotoxin found in its leaves.

There also are some very beautiful species of artemisias perfectly suited to decorative garden use where a splash of silvery foliage is appreciated. These include A. ludoviciana "Silver King" and "Silver Queen"; A. schmidtiana "Nana," known as silver mound; and A. stelleriana "Boughton Silver," "Silver Brocade" and "Mori," all commonly known as dusty millers.