Photo credit: Patricia Yap

 

Common Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) is a herb that can be found in Northern Africa, Europe, Western Asia and China. Growing up to 1.5 m tall, this perennial shrub has deeply lobed, simple leaves with a green, hairless or sparsely hairy upper surface, and a white-to-grey lower surface that is softly hairy. These aromatic yet bitter tasting leaves can be consumed fresh or cooked.

 

In Japan and Korea, the leaves of the Common Mugwort are cooked with fish and meat to impart flavour, and used as a colouring agent for rice dumplings. In traditional Asian medicine, the stems, leaves and flowers may be used as sedatives or appetite stimulants.

 

The whole plant (fresh or dried) also repels insects. An infusion of the plant can serve as as a general-purpose insecticidal spray which is especially effective against insect larvae.

 

Common Mugwort can be propagated by seed and stem-cutting. It grows best in a sunny location with little to moderate watering.

Learn more about this plant here.