Wormwood

Wormwood is a hardy, long-lived perennial that is easy to grow from seed and well suited to dry, well-drained conditions. Seed can be sown indoors from late winter through to early summer, or sown directly outdoors from mid-spring onwards once the soil has begun to warm.

Sow the seed on the surface of the compost or soil and gently press it in; do not bury the seed, as light helps to trigger germination. Keep the compost evenly moist but not waterlogged. Germination is usually reliable, typically taking around 10–20 days.

Once seedlings are large enough to handle, prick out into individual pots and grow on briefly before planting out, or thin direct-sown seedlings once established. Wormwood develops into a large, shrubby plant over time, so allow a spacing of around 60–90cm between plants.

Once established, wormwood is drought tolerant and requires very little feeding or ongoing care. In richer soils it can produce softer, more sprawling growth.

Without occasional management, plants can become woody and straggly. Light trimming in late spring or early summer helps maintain a compact shape and encourages fresh, aromatic growth. Avoid cutting hard into old woody stems during the growing season.

Good quality wormwood contains over 2% essential oil, the majority of which is thujone, and bitter sesquiterpene lactones. just nibble on a leaf and you will immediately know what a true bitter tastes like. These bitter and aromatic principles have led to wormwood having a long history in the dispensary commonly used in low doses for indigestion and bloating. This ability to eliminate fullness by stimulating digestion also works on the nervous system with wormwood used for stagnant depression. This effectively makes it an antidepressant, somehow the bitterness making life taste sweeter again. As the name suggests it has been used against worms, especially pinworms and roundworms.