common wormwood
Artemisia vulgaris · Accepted scientific name
Scientific literature: Very Extensive (742 studies) · ★★★★★
Common wormwood, scientifically known as Artemisia vulgaris, is a perennial herb celebrated for its aromatic leaves and diverse medicinal properties. Long used in traditional healing, it is recognized for supporting digestive health and regulating hormonal balance. Its distinct, bitter profile makes it a significant plant in ethnobotanical studies.
- Family
- Asteraceae
- Native range
- Europe
- Parts used
- Leaves · Essential Oils
- Common names
- Eurasian Wormwood · Felon-Herb · 4 more
- Scientific synonyms
- Not available
Names
Common Names
- Eurasian wormwood
- felon-herb
- lobed wormwood
- Mugwort
- felonherb
- green-ginger
Regional and Traditional Names
Spanish:
- Tomaraja
- Artamisia
- Artemisa comun
- Madre yerba
- Madra
- Tomarajas
- Artemisa común
- Artemisa vulgar
- Hierba del caminante
- Artemega
- Artamisa
- artemisia
- hierba de San Juan
German:
- Beifuß
- Gemeiner Beifuss
- Beifuss
- Gänsekraut
- Johannesgürtelkraut
- Gewürzbeifuß
- Sonnenwendkraut
- Weiberkraut
- Jungfernkraut
- Fliegenkraut
- Werzwisch
- gewöhnlicher Beifuss
- wilder Wermut
- gewöhnlicher Beifuß
- gemeiner Beifuß
- gemeiner Beifuß
- gewöhnlicher Beifuß
French:
- Armoise commune
- Armoise vulgaire
- armoise commune
- armoise commune
- armoise vulgaire
- herbe Saint-Jean
Scientific Names
Accepted name
Artemisia vulgarisTaxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Asterales, it is classified under the family Asteraceae. Finally, its taxonomic identity is defined by the genus Artemisia, specifically as the species Artemisia vulgaris.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Asterales | WCVP |
| Family | Asteraceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Artemisia | WCVP |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a wide distribution across several regions of Northern Europe. It can be found growing within the borders of Denmark and Finland. Additionally, its presence extends to the Faroe Islands, which are known as Føroyar. The species is also commonly documented throughout Great Britain. Finally, its geographical range includes the island of Ireland.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | Denmark | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Finland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Føroyar | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Great Britain | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Ireland | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Norway | WCVP |
| Northern Europe | Sweden | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Austria | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Belgium | WCVP |
| Middle Europe | Czechia-Slovakia | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, commonly known as mugwort, is a versatile medicinal herb where various components contribute to its therapeutic properties. The most frequently utilized parts are the green, aromatic leaves and the flowering tops, which are often harvested when the plant is in bloom to ensure maximum potency. Beyond these structural parts, the plant is highly valued for its rich concentration of essential oils, which provide its characteristic scent and carry many of its bioactive compounds. Because it is classified among various medicinal herbs, the integration of its foliage and floral elements makes it a significant subject in traditional herbalism.| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Essential oils | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flowering tops | Fitoterapia (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| herbs | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Artemisia vulgaris has 112 reported phytochemicals identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include Coumarins, Flavonoids, camphor, 1,8-Cineole, ALPHA-PINENE.
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Coumarins | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoids | Journal of advanced pharmaceutical technology & research (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| camphor | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| 1,8-Cineole | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| ALPHA-PINENE | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| BETA-PINENE | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| CHLOROGENIC ACID | Plants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Eucalyptol | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Flavonoid | Journal of B.U.ON. : official journal of the Balkan Union of Oncology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Germacrene D | Journal of bioscience and bioengineering (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Artemisia vulgaris has 548 reported activities identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Antibacterial, Anticancer, Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, Antifungal.
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Antibacterial | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Anticancer | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antioxidant | Dr. Duke (and other 3 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Antidiabetic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antifungal | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antimicrobial | Journal of biomaterials science. Polymer edition (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antiseptic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Antispasmodic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hepatoprotective | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Hypolipidemic | Dr. Duke (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Artemisia vulgaris has 27 reported medicinal uses identified across 5 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include Staphylococcus aureus, antioxidant, asthma, Bacillus cereus, Candida albicans.
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Staphylococcus aureus | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 4 sources) | ★★☆☆☆ |
| antioxidant | Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| asthma | Phytotherapy research : PTR (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Bacillus cereus | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Candida albicans | Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| SARS-CoV-2 | Frontiers in pharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Streptococcus mutans | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| anti-hypertensive | Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| anti-malarial | Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| anti-oxidant | Food research international (Ottawa, Ont.) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Preparations
| Preparations | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| aqueous extracts | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 2 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| AVEO | Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Essential oils | Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| MeOH extracts | Biological & pharmaceutical bulletin (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Methanolic extracts | Journal of tropical medicine (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chloroform (AV-CHCl(3)) extract | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| chloroform crude extract (AV-CHCl(3)) | Journal of ethnopharmacology (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| essential oil | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| extracts | Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flowering tops | Fitoterapia (and other 1 sources) | ★☆☆☆☆ |