Mugwort, annual, Artemisia annua, herb, cut

Name: Sweet Wormwood / Annual Mugwort (Deutsch: Einjähriger Beifuß)
Latin Name: Artemisia annua L.
Product Form: Herb, dried, cut (contains stems)
Ingredients: 100% Artemisia annua herb from certified organic farming

Sweet wormwood is one of the oldest and most renowned medicinal plants in Traditional Chinese Medicine and is gaining increasing recognition in Europe as well. Artemisia annua is particularly known for its central plant compound artemisinin, which has brought the plant into global scientific focus. The dried herb has been used in naturopathic medicine for thousands of years and is considered one of the most significant medicinal plants in TCM.

Uses and Effects

For legal reasons, we would like to point out that Artemisia annua is not approved as a food product within the EU. We are therefore unable to offer the herb for preparation as a tea. Please note the following statement:

"Since 1995, Herbathek has worked with informed and discerning customers who prefer to research independently before making decisions. We continue to honour this approach and make every effort to provide our customers with research resources, book references, traditional herbal knowledge, home remedies and innovative ideas for nutrition, cosmetics and healthy living. We trust that our long-standing customers are passionate herbal enthusiasts who apply the rich heritage of traditional herbal knowledge responsibly in support of their own health and who critically evaluate the wide range of information available, including folk medicine traditions. We are happy to advise and assist in reviewing your own research."

Further information on application can be found in the "Areas of Application" tab.

About the Plant

Artemisia annua is an annual herbaceous plant belonging to the daisy family (Asteraceae). It reaches a height of 30 to 150 cm and forms upright, heavily branched stems with finely pinnate, aromatically scented leaves. The leaves are light green, arranged alternately and have a characteristically fine, fern-like structure. The small, yellowish flower heads appear in loose panicles from July to September. When crushed, sweet wormwood releases an intense, camphor-like fragrance attributable to its high content of essential oils. Compared to the premium quality, the herb offered here contains stem portions and has a somewhat lighter green colour.

Other common names: Artemisia annua is also known as sweet annie, sweet sagewort, Chinese wormwood or annual wormwood. In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is known by the name Qing Hao. In German, the plant is referred to as Einjähriger Beifuß, Einjähriger Wermut or Chinesischer Beifuß.

Origin and harvest time: Sweet wormwood originates from northern China and Central Asia, where it grows in open woodlands, on disturbed ground and along riverbanks. Since the 19th century it has become established across large parts of Europe, including along rivers such as the Elbe. The herb is ideally harvested just before flowering, when the concentration of active compounds is at its highest. The main harvest period falls between June and August.

Historical roots: Sweet wormwood is one of the oldest medicinal plants in human history and has been an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine for over 2,000 years. The genus name Artemisia derives from the Greek goddess Artemis, who was venerated as a symbol of protection and purification. In Chinese medicine, Artemisia annua is traditionally used under the name Qing Hao to support well-being. From the 19th century onwards, the plant gained increasing recognition in Europe as well. Worldwide attention came with the discovery of the active compound artemisinin, for which Chinese researcher Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2015. To this day, it is regarded in TCM as one of the most important and versatile medicinal plants.

Key active constituents:

• Artemisinin: A sesquiterpene lactone and the best-known central plant compound of Artemisia annua, which has brought the plant into global scientific focus.
• Flavonoids (quercetin, kaempferol): Polyphenolic secondary plant compounds that contribute to the overall activity of the plant in combination with other constituents.
• Essential oils (cineole, camphor, alpha-pinene, limonene, borneol): Responsible for the characteristic intense fragrance of the plant and important components of its phytochemical profile.
• Artemisinic acid: A further characteristic compound of the plant, considered a biosynthetic precursor to artemisinin.
• Bitter compounds: Typical constituents of wormwood species, with the premium quality containing a significantly higher concentration of bitter compounds.

Herbathek Stands for the Highest Quality

All products available at Herbathek are exclusively selected and of the highest quality. Our sweet wormwood is also naturally pure and of the finest quality: free from preservatives, flavourings and other artificial additives – 100% natural!

We explicitly point out that our sweet wormwood comes from certified organic farming. Since the herb is not approved as a food product within the EU, the EU organic label may not be used, as this certification is exclusively reserved for food products.

Origin: Our sweet wormwood is sourced from certified organic farming. Cultivation conditions are strictly monitored to ensure consistently high quality and an optimal concentration of active plant compounds.

Careful cultivation & gentle processing: Throughout the entire growing and harvesting process, careful handling of the plant is ensured at every stage. This preserves its natural, plant-typical properties as completely as possible. The specifically cultivated plant variety differs significantly from wild-growing variants and has a notably higher density of plant constituents. A particularly gentle further processing method and a specially adapted drying procedure ensure the purity and high quality of this naturally pure raw material.

You can also purchase other similar products at Herbathek:

• Sweet Wormwood in Premium Quality - largely stem-free, with a more intense green colour and a significantly higher concentration of bitter compounds.
• Sweet Wormwood, Ground - finely ground Artemisia annua powder from certified organic farming.