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Artemisia absinthium

Wormwood

Caution

Bitter aromatic leaves and flowers.

Grey-green dissected leaves.

Family
Asteraceae
Plant type
Perennial herb
What the safety levels mean (expand legend)
  • Generally recognised as safe. Often a common herb with reasonable harvest and use; still read the specific warnings on the card.
  • Information. Primarily informational — details in the text and warnings below matter most.
  • Caution. Needs extra care (dose, duration, sensitive groups, interactions).
  • Risky. Significant risks — verify sources, contraindications and professional guidance.
  • Not for home experimentation. Not suitable to experiment with at home without knowledge and certainty.
  • High risk for internal use. Particular risk with internal use (e.g. alkaloids); avoid prolonged or irresponsible dosing.
  • Not specified. Level not filled in yet — rely on individual warnings and links below.
Artemisia absinthium — plant habitus (Wikimedia Commons).

Photograph on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Plant habit

Safety — read before use

For this herb it is important to check warnings, mix-ups and cautions. Start with the Safety section.

Quick overview

A practical summary; details are in the sections below.

Safety grade
Caution details
Scientific sources on the card
No specific citations attached to claims yet
When and what to harvest
  • Flower — July–August
Full harvest section
Processing methods

Herbal infusion (tea), Poultice / compress, Honey macerate

All methods and recipes on the card
Topics and symptoms

Digestion, Liver & bile (folk framing), Space clearing (ritual)

Topics section, Symptoms overview

Identification and mix-ups

Yellow inflorescences.

Possible mix-ups and risks

Thujone limits in distillates—regulatory context.

Similar herbs

  • Oregano

    Strongly aromatic herbs with a bitter note; wormwood tends to be markedly stronger — dose sparingly.

Topics and symptoms

More topics are in the symptoms and topics overview.

Geographic occurrence

  • Czechia

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

    Widespread occurrence in the Czech Republic in suitable habitats.

  • Austria

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • Germany

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • Hungary

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • Poland

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

  • Slovakia

    Common (expected wild occurrence in the region)

Harvest

  • FlowerJuly–August

    summer

    Region: Czechia

    Notes: Aerial parts in flower.

Storage

  • Drying(Leaf)

    Keep dried plant material in a sealed container.

    Light:
    Out of direct UV.
    Moisture:
    Low relative humidity.

Processing methods on this herb card

  • Herbal infusion (tea)(Flower)Suitability: High suitability

    Infusion or brief extraction in hot water; usually without long boiling.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Here, herbal tea is prepared as an infusion: pour freshly boiling water over dried herbs or a herbal blend and steep for at least 5 minutes. BfR gives this as a hygiene rule, not a medicinal dose. Follow the specific product instructions, including a longer steeping time when stated. This rule for herbal infusions is not a general preparation guide for true tea (Camellia sinensis). Temperature, steep time, and the herb-to-water ratio change both flavour and what dissolves into the liquid.

    Compared with a decoction, heat exposure is shorter and gentler; tender leaves and flowers are often better as an infusion than with prolonged simmering. For each herb, always follow the plant card for suitable plant part, preparation, and safety notes — general rules never replace species-level judgement.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Artemisia absinthium — Herbal infusion (tea) (Flower)

    About 6 minBeginnerScience profile

    Open recipe →

  • Poultice / compress(Flower)Suitability: Low suitability

    Liquid or paste on the skin, often through a thin cloth.

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    A compress applies moist warm or cool material to the skin directly or through fabric. Duration and temperature are key — too hot can burn; too long can macerate the skin.

    Use clean textiles and watch skin reaction during the first minutes.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Compress with very weak wormwood infusion

    About 20 minAdvancedScience profile

    Open recipe →

  • Honey macerate(Flower)Suitability: Low suitability

    Macerating plant material in honey (a honey conserve).

    Full method description (from the catalogue)

    Honey as a maceration medium creates a viscous mixture with its own biochemistry: water activity, acidity, and enzymes influence shelf life and flavour. Traditionally it is used with delicate flowers or herbs when you want aroma bound into honey.

    Infant botulism guidance for honey and honey safety in general sit outside a single herb page; maceration time, ratios, and storage must follow a vetted recipe and source, not this general overview alone.

    Traditional context for this method: yes·Scientific context for this method: no

    Wormwood flower honey (trace amount)

    About 30 minAdvancedScience profile

    Open recipe →

Traditional / spiritual use

Kept separate from science — entries are cultural or symbolic, not medical advice.

Related guides in the library

  • Bitter wormwood and the green line of absinthe lore

    General

    Traditional useFolk useHerbal lore

    Wormwood is culturally bound to bitter liqueurs and nineteenth-century artistic imagery. The symbol is vivid and separate from home medicine — especially because of thujone and strict rules around spirits.

    Form:
    bitter liqueurs, tea in very small doses in tradition
    Claim strength:
    Tradition
    Source note:
    Cultural absinthe heritage — not a guide to distilling without legal and safety knowledge.

Scientific notes

Each claim lists a study type and a source (URL or DOI) where available. Dose notes from the literature are informational only.

No published study records yet.

Images

The main photo is in the card header. More images will appear here when available.

Safety

What the warning types mean

The type on each warning helps group themes — it does not replace the separate severity badge.

Internal use
Risks from swallowing, extracts, duration of use or concentration for internal use.
Interactions / medicines
Possible effect on medicines or concurrent treatment — check sources and a professional.
Raw plant parts
Raw, unripe or poorly prepared plant parts can be dangerous.
Toxins and regulation
Toxic constituents or regulated compounds (e.g. in distillates).
Contact with the plant
Skin or mucosa irritation from contact with fresh plant or sap.
Allergy
Allergic reactions, often linked to family sensitisation.
Harvesting and contamination
Contamination, species mix-ups or harvesting from unsuitable places.
  • Thujone and distillatesModerate severityToxins and regulation

    Products containing wormwood are subject to compositional limits — consult applicable regulations.