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MugwortMugwort Family Name (English): Aster Family Name (Latin): Compositae, Asteraceae Latin Name: Artemesia vulgaris (2:106) Common Names: Mugwort (2:106), Felon Herb (3:201) Native American Names: None found Related Species: A. tridentata (Sagebrush)(4:208), A. ludoviciana (a subspecies of Mugwort), A. lindleyana (a subspecies of Mugwort) (2:108), A. suksdorfii (Suksdorf’s mugwort) (1:278)
Sitting With/Dreams/Sense of the Plant: See Personal Experience section
Body System Affiliations: Immune, Urinary, First Aid, Reproductive (menstrual cycle), Skin, Nervous, Respiratory, Digestive (3:201-202).
Botanical Description
Habit: Perennial Herb Size: 1’ - 5’ (3:201), 6’ (5:152-3), 3’ – 7’ (2:106) Arrangement: Alternate (5:152-3) Leaves: Up to 4” long, dark green on top and tiny whitish hairs underneath; (5:152-3) Lance shaped, lower ones being variously cleft and upper are smaller and entire (2:106) Flowers: Yellow to purplish, ovid, in numerous clusters from July to August (3:200), 1/8” occurring in loose panicles (5:152-3) Fruit: Not found Underground Parts: Rhizomatous (5:152-3) Personal Observation and Description: Strangely aromatic, quirky little plant with tiny flowers all over it. Dried leaves have cottony texture inside when torn apart.
Ecology Habitat: Adaptable but prefers full sun and relatively rich, moist soil. Tolerant of cold and does not need winter protection (5:152-3). Likes hedges and waste places (3:200). “California Mugwort is most common near lower moist valleys and lower mountain streams, although it may occur up to 6,000’ in California. It is most common on the west slopes of inland foothills and along the coast.” (2:108). Range: “From Northern Baja California northwards through nearly all of California; in western Nevada, Oregon, and California, mostly west of the Cascades; and east through Idaho, into Montana and the Rockies.” Not a clearly defined variety, esp. north and east of this terrain, as the plant has mated with other subspecies such as A. ludoviciana and A. lindleyana. “From Oregon southwards it is a clear biotype.” (2:108) Native Where: Unknown, Mugwort is found all over the world. Ecological Relationships: “Colony plant forming stands of several to hundreds of individuals, all interconnected by underground root stalks.” (2:106) Personal Observations of Locations Observed, Dates and Descriptions of Plants: Haven’t had a chance to find any except at the Gifts garden where my sample was procured and did not know at the time that I would choose Mugwort for my plant study so I wasn’t looking too close at it. Western (European-American) Uses/Relationships
Part Used: Leaves and flowers (2:108) Medicinal Actions: Bitter, Tonic, Digestive Stimulant, Anti-Oxidant, Cholagogue, Nervine, Anti-Depressant (6:33), Diaphoretic, Antifungal, Antimicrobial, First Aid as Mild Topical Anesthetic/Counter-Irritant/Anti-Inflammatory, Stomachic, Antibilious, Febrifuge (2:108-9) Indications: Sluggish Digestion, Chronic Gastritis, Gastric Ulcers, Fever, Colds, Sinus Pain, Sprains, Hyperextension, Bruises, Headaches, Nausea (2:108-9) Body System Associations: Immune System, Urinary, First Aid, Reproductive (menstrual cycle), Skin, Nervous, Respiratory, Digestive (2:108-9) Constituents: Caffeoylquinic acids, chlorogenic acid (2:108) Applications: Infusion, Salve (2:108-9), Tincture (6:155) Preparation: Infusion: “Boil 32 parts of water, remove it from the heat, and steep 1 part by weight of the herb in the water for one-half to one hour, depending on the density of the botanical. Pour through a strainer, and add additional water (poured through the herb) until the original 32 parts is reached.” (2:24) Salve: “Grind up 1 part (by weight) of herb, place it in a container with a top, moisten it thoroughly with ½ to ¾ part (by volume) of pure ethanol or 90% rubbing alcohol, and let it set covered for at least two hours. Place it in a blender, cover it with 7 parts (by volume) vegetable oil (preferably olive), and blend the hell out of it. Blend it until the side of the top is warm, turn it off, and pour it through a cloth inside a strainer placed over a bowl. Squeeze out all the oil and toss the remnants. … Dissolve 1 ounce of beeswax for every 5 ounces of finished oil in a double boiler or in a pan over a very low heat. … Heat [the oil and beeswax] together till the beeswax melts.” Scrape into jar. (2:25) Tincture: “Powder and weigh dried plant and place the powder into a large jar that can be tightly closed. Prepare custom menstruum. Be sure to mix together all the liquids of the mnstruum thoroughly in a separate container before adding them to the powdered plant material. Add the menstruum to the powdered herb. Stir well, making sure all of the powdered herb is wet … Cap jar tightly. Shake tincture frequently for 14 days, then let it sit another day. Decant, press, and filter. Bottle, cap tightly, and label.” (6:151) Pharmacy: Infusion: 2 to 3 fluid ounces every 3 to 4 hours Salve: User’s Discretion Tincture: .5 to 2 ml, 3 times per day Cautions: Not for use during pregnancy (6:37) (2:109) Indigenous and Non-Western Use/Significance/Relationships Medicine Indigenous Group: Native Americans (specific tribes unlisted), Russians Part Used: Leaves (Russians use whole plant) Medicinal Actions: Emmenagogue, Diuretic, Diaphoretic, First Aid, Anti-Inflammatory, Nervine, Antilithic, Abortifacient, Vermifuge. Indications: Colds, Colic, Bronchitis, Rheumatism, Fever, Female Sickness, Kidney and Bladder Inflammation and Related Ailments (Gout, Sciatica, Water Retention, etc.), Wound Inflammation, Catalepsy, Chorea, Convulsions, Dysemenia, Epilepsy, Hydrocephalus, Hysteria, Somnambulism, Worms. Energetics: Various sources on the internet suggest that Mugwort produces lucid dreams but none of the sources I found are reputable enough to quote. Applications: Decoction, Tincture of fresh root (for Homeopathy) or Tincture of whole plant (for other Russian cures), Preparation: Decoction: “1 teaspoonful to 1 cupful of boiling water, steeped for 20 min.” For wounds: “After using a poultice of Slippery Elm (Ulmus fulva), Cleavers and Bear’s Foot (Helleborus foetidus), bathe the inflammatory swelling with a strong tea of Mugwort.” Native Americans also used the juice of the plant to treat poison oak. Tincture: Vodka menstruum, use whole plant for rickets or fresh roots for homeopathic treatment of Catalepsy, Chorea, Convulsions, Dysemenia, Epilepsy, Hydrocephalus, Hysteria, Somnambulism, Worms. Pharmacy: Decoction: “To be taken in wineglassful amounts.” Cautions: Not for use during pregnancy, abortifacient
(All facts in this section from 3:200-2) No information found for propagation or harvest Personal Experience
Medicine Part Used: Leaves and flowers. Desired Medicinal Actions: Procurement Source: Sayuyay garden. Condition: Dried. Other Procurement Information: Harvested and dried by Loni Ronnebaum. Application/Preparation/Pharmacy Applications: Dream Pillow Preparation: Pulled flowers and leaves off of stems, put in pillow. Pharmacy: ¼ pillow case full. Reason/Purpose: To induce lucid dreams. Experience: Non-lucid but yet educational dreams. Not quite what I was expecting! Pointed out areas in my life I need to work on, in an unpleasant but not unkind manner. In other words, there seemed to be a genuine desire to assist but the dreams themselves were powerfully uncomfortable for the most part. I went into the experience thinking that the chemicals in the plant would just cause me to dream lucidly without much interaction between the plant and myself, but I came out of my experimentation with an understanding that imbibing a plant’s essence means entering into a relationship with that plant. There was not an a + b = c chemical reaction here but rather an intersection of consciousness -- and a bewildering one at that! However, I am thankful for what I was shown and will continue to interact with this herb throughout the rest of the quarter. Cautions Based on Experience: Don’t use this plant unceremoniously! I read a number of articles on the Internet about Mugwort, some saying it caused lucid dreams and others saying it just caused nightmares. Based on my personal experience, I imagine that the latter occurred due to a disrespectful relationship with the plant. Other Notes of Interest: The origin of the name Mugwort comes from the old European tradition of using the herb in beer and mead (Mug as in cup and Wort as in the old European term for herb). This plant is very similar to Sage and is often mistaken for it. To tell them apart, Mugwort (and all other Artemisia’s) have alternate leaves while true sage (like other members of the mint family) always have opposite leaves (4:128). Cautions: Do not use during pregnancy. (6:37) Mugwort stimulates the uterine lining. (2:109) Abortifacient (3:202) References Cited:
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Derek Olson – Healing Gardens – Fall Quarter - 2006
Derek Olson
categories [ Plant Studies ]
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